At First Sight
by sian030
Summary: Modern day J&E: Will a disastrous first encounter mean Jack loses his dream job before he's even begun? Will hitting the elusive Thatcher heir in the face with a door lead to more bad luck? Read along to find out if our favourite duo ever become more than just an 'annoyance at first sight'.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Jack Thornton walked up the subway stairs, arising in the busy hustle of downtown New York. He looked up at the buildings and the clear sunny day and was grateful for the turn in his luck. For the past few months, it seemed nothing right could go his way. He turned toward the direction that he had memorized on a map the night before and began to walk.

Jack had got the call two days ago that he was finally successful for a job. Not just any job but one of the best out there as a private bodyguard to a female multi-millionaire. An old friend, Lee Coulter, already worked in her security detail so when they ran into each other a month ago, Lee told him about the vacancy. In short, Jack owed him. Big time.

After an interview with Lee's boss, Jack was offered the job. Today he was supposed to come in, get his uniform, take a tour and set up his security access before he started officially the next day.

Looking at his watch, Jack realised he still had an hour before he was meant to be there. As he looked up at the building in front of him, he noticed a cafe to the side. Deciding to get a quick coffee, he lined up at the counter. A pretty blonde woman took his order with an eager smile and after he received his coffee he took a seat at the back and just watched all the comings and goings. After all, that was what Jack did best. He paid attention when others didn't. He noticed the details. He realised there was a side entrance to the building along one wall, although it was partially hidden behind a decorative planter and a solid timber door.

Jack thought back to the events of the last few years and was so glad to be sitting there at that moment. Being deployed overseas on back-to-back tours meant he had seen and experienced some of the worst things ever. When he got home four months ago, he thought he was done seeing death happening all around him. Only a week after he got home, his brother and partner were killed in a car accident. Their three year old daughter Hannah managed to survive - miraculously. Even though Jack's parents were able to look after her full-time for the moment, financially they weren't in a good position. That was why Jack was so grateful for this job since his own finances had begun to dwindle.

Jack finished his coffee and went toward the trash, depositing his coffee cup and simultaneously pushing open the side door, which immediately collided with someone on the other side. Jack heard a small shriek but it was too late. The damage had been done and unfortunately Jack hadn't been gentle when he had pushed open the door. So focused on his impending meeting he had shoved the door with way more force than was necessary. Jack was horrified by what he had unintentionally done and as he peered around the door he was surprised to see a beautiful young woman - who was now glaring daggers at him.

"Ow!" she said rubbing her face with her hand. "What's wrong with you?" she said angrily.

Jack immediately got his back up with her tone. "Me? Nothing is wrong with me. You on the other hand …"

"I was just innocently walking into a coffee shop when I got assaulted by a door that you pushed into my face!" she almost yelled.

"Well, if your face was that close maybe that explains why you got hit!" Jack said, matching her tone.

She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. "How dare you! I don't have time for this. Just get out of my way."

"Excuse me? But you're in my way" he said matching her icy gaze.

They stood there glaring at one another before the man beside her pushed Jack back and ushered her inside. Only then did Jack realise she had a bodyguard accompanying her. Jack laughed to himself at the fact she had distracted him so much he hadn't even noticed the bodyguard. At that moment, the woman turned back and saw him laughing. Her expression softened for just a split section before the fire returned to her eyes and she stormed off.

For a moment, Jack did feel guilty. After all he wasn't in a habit speaking to a woman like that and he knew she would have been both hurt and shocked by what had just happened. Jack gathered himself together and headed for the main reception of his new work building. Lee was called down and when Jack saw him crossing the foyer toward him, he went to meet him.

"Jack! How are you going, man?"

"Great, Lee. Thanks so much for this. I won't let you down."

"I know you, Jack. You could never let me down that's why I didn't hesitate to tell you about the job. Come on, let's go get everything sorted for you."

Jack was taken to the main security office for the building and issued his pass and then Lee showed him how to use the private lifts at the rear of the building. They were only used by the high profile people working in the building, their boss being one of them.

"Ms Thatcher is a great boss. She's down to earth and has a sense of humour and doesn't treat you like dirt, like some of the other people you could work for. Honestly, she is as good as you can get."

"Hence why you've stayed working for her for the last three years."

"Exactly. She's very understanding and if you have any problems, she's very approachable."

"She sounds like a saint" Jack said, actually curious about meeting his new charge.

"Most of the time she is. You just don't want to get on her bad side. You won't last if you do that."

"Why?"

"She doesn't forgive very easily."

Lee introduced Jack to a few of the other people in Ms Thatcher's office including her personal assistant and administration team. There were two older women in that group but most of them were young and their eyes peered curiously over the partitions at Jack as he passed. He wasn't exactly surprised as he knew he had that affect on women. He gave them a friendly wave and smile and he noticed a few of them blush before their heads disappeared again.

Jack chuckled to himself, but Lee noticed.

"Now, no breaking any hearts in this office Jack. I know how you can be."

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Jack said, trying to sound innocent.

Lee threw his head back in laughter. "You forget I'm married to Rosie. She remembers what you were like in college. Have you changed that much?"

"That was six years ago, Lee. You've changed since those days, haven't you?"

"Sure, but I got married. How long did your last girlfriend hang around for?"

Jack cringed at that memory. "Three weeks" he said quietly.

Lee laughed again. "You can reel them in Jack, but you never try to keep them, do you?"

"I don't want the commitment. Is that so difficult to fathom?"

"Sounds to me like you just haven't found the right woman to challenge you."

"Maybe" Jack replied quietly. "So when do I get to meet the elusive Ms Thatcher?"

"Mmm I think she's left until after lunch" Lee said pulling out his phone to check something. "Yes, she's on her way to a meeting at the moment." Lee turned his phone to show Jack. "All security personnel have access to her schedule through this app. It has a GPS tracker which tracks her movements, but only Bill, myself and Phil have access to that information."

"Fair enough" Jack said, absorbing all of this new information. Lee continued showing Jack around the offices, pointing out the emergency exits and other areas of importance.

Entering into a security office, Jack found himself surrounded by screens.

"This is where we spend most of our day when we aren't looking out for Ms Thatcher. She can come here and grab any one of us to accompany her if she wants to go out for a bit but normally we have someone rostered on each day to be ready to go with her when needed. Otherwise we are here looking out for and investigating any suspicious activity."

Jack nodded, looking around the small room that had two people monitoring screens and third on a computer. Lee walked over to a nearby desk and grabbed a box before handing it to Jack.

"Here's your new uniform. There are three shirts and two pants. That should be sufficient for your five shifts per week. Your jacket is still on order. Welcome to the team." Lee gave him a gentle slap on the shoulder.

Jack glanced in the box to see clear bags of black clothing. He smiled. "Thanks."

"You'll do mainly daytime shifts for the first few days until you get the hang of things. We'll see you back here bright and early tomorrow morning."

Jack shook his hand and after a few more friendly comments, Jack departed using the main lift. He walked back outside into the sunshine and made his way home.

* * *

The next morning, Jack woke early and begun his daily preparations for his first day. He had always woken early and either did a cardio or strength workout so that morning he hit the gym for leg day. His gym was just around the corner from his apartment, so he went back home and got ready. He had ironed his uniform the night before and cleaned up his shoes, laying everything out. Now he dressed and made sure his uniform was meticulous. He threw his own black leather jacket over the top to cover the security logo on the shirt pocket and headed for the subway.

Jack was feeling excited when he arrived downtown but knew he needed a coffee or he would crash later after the adrenaline wore off. Jack walked into the coffee shop and was served by the same young blonde woman as the day before.

"Hi! You're back!" she said eagerly.

"Yes. I'm working next door now."

"Good to know. I'm Lucy. What can I get for you?"

"A long black please, Lucy."

"Coming right up. Can I grab your name?"

"It's Jack."

She wrote it down on the paper cup before putting it in line with the barista. Jack handed over his money and as he went to walk away Lucy called out to him.

"See you tomorrow, Jack."

Jack gave her a friendly smile and went to wait for his coffee order. Looking at his watch he decided to drink it on his way. Noticing how hot it was, he carried the lid separately. As he walked out the swinging door again, he pushed it more cautiously this time and noticed there was no obstruction. An elderly lady was following behind him so he held the door for her before letting go but then he swung around a little quickly and collided into a smaller body.

Jack looked down in horror as his boiling hot coffee covered the crisp white shirt of the petite female in front of him. With a squeal the woman pulled her shirt away from her body, trying not to let it touch her skin, her other hand clinging to her cell phone.

"Oh no! I am so sorry!" Jack began and then as the woman in front of him lifted her head, he was left to stare at some glaring blue eyes that were burning holes into him. Very familiar eyes that he had seen with the exact same expression the day before.

"You!" she growled at him.

"You" he said back to her with not quite as much venom in his voice as she had possessed.

"What is your problem?!" Her eyes flashed in fury as they glared at him. If she had the power to light him on fire, he would have been a pile of ash already.

"I said I was sorry" he countered.

"That's not good enough. You just spilled boiling hot coffee all over me. Why weren't you watching where you were going?"

"I was. I was helping someone. But what's your excuse?"

"My excuse?"

"Your reaction time must be terrible. Why didn't you see me coming?"

"I shouldn't have to keep an eye on_ your_ coffee just because you're incompetent." She pushed past him into the coffee shop, heading straight for the napkins to clean herself up. Jack watched her momentarily. She glanced back at him, before she turned away talking to the man beside her. Jack watched their exchange. The bodyguard with her was the same older man as the day prior. He was probably in his late 50s, his hair greying. He was thin and wiry, only fractionally taller than the woman, but clearly not capable of doing his job. Jack shook his head. The woman's bodyguard was not his problem.

Jack turned back for his original destination, draining the last few mouthfuls of coffee left in the cup before throwing it in a nearby trashcan. He headed for the public lift and after scanning his access card, he waited for the lift to pass the previous 50 floors before the doors opened. He stepped out and headed straight for the security office that Lee had shown him the day before.

"Jack. Welcome" Bill said as he opened the door.

Bill was the head of security, although he was due to retire in the next month. He was the one that conducted Jack's interview the week before. Lee was second in command at the moment but had been prepped to take over Bill's role. Jack held out his hand to shake Bill's.

"Thanks Bill. What would you like me to do today?"

"We will introduce you to Ms Thatcher when she comes in and you will basically tail Lee over the next week. He will show you the ropes and teach you our protocols. Any downtime you have will be spent here reading through the documentation and learning our procedures."

Bill pointed toward an empty desk that had a giant pile of folders on it. Jack nodded and took a seat, getting straight to work.

About twenty minutes later, Lee came in. He came and took a seat beside Jack.

"How was your morning?" he asked Jack.

"Alright if you can consider spilling a hot cup of coffee all over a stranger a good morning."

"Oh no!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. And I hit her with a door yesterday. I wonder what it will be tomorrow …"

Lee burst out laughing. "What did she say?"

"She was furious. Understandably. But she was so rude – acting like I did it on purpose."

"Don't tell me she was hot …"

Jack sighed. "Absolutely gorgeous." He thought back to those blue eyes that had been focused on him with such anger. Jack wondered what they looked like when she wasn't furious.

Lee laughed even louder. "Never mind. You will probably never see her again."

Jack just nodded, turning his attention back to the folder in front of him.

About an hour later, Lee's phone buzzed.

"That's Ms Thatcher. She's on her way up. Come on. I will introduce you."

As they went to leave the security office, Jack glanced at the monitors on his way past. Jack saw the woman he ran into earlier on the security monitor. She was now wearing a fresh shirt, the coffee stain that was evident earlier all gone.

Jack pointed at the monitor. "Do you know her?" he asked Lee.

Lee looked at the monitor closer before smiling. "Yes. She's your new boss."

"What?!" Jack replied in horror, his mouth hanging open.

"That's Ms Thatcher."

"Ms Thatcher? She's barely 25 and she's a multi-millionaire?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes. Her mother passed away when she was a child and her father died unexpectedly just a few years ago leaving each of his children with a small fortune. Elizabeth was the only one that was interested in continuing her father's legacy and has done a lot with the business and has been in the spotlight for some time. You haven't seen her in the news?"

"No. You know I haven't been in the country" Jack said referring to his long-term military deployment. "Damn it" he said under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Lee asked curiously.

Jack hesitated. "You know the woman I told you about … who I spilled my coffee on … and hit in the face with a door?"

"Yeah?" Lee looked at him puzzled.

"Same woman."

Lee's eyes went wide. "It was Ms Thatcher that you hit in the face? That's why she has that bruise on her cheek?"

Jack let out a sigh. "Yeah."

Lee roared with laughter. "Oh man. This just got good!" he said, still laughing. "I'm changing my entry in the sweep!"

"What sweep?"

"How long you will last! I'm dropping it down from a month to one more day as soon as she sees you" he laughed heartily.

Jack groaned. He needed this job for Hannah. "You said she was really good to work for. Why do you a sweep going?"

"Sure, but she prefers older security guys. Haven't you noticed that you're the youngest one in the office at the moment?"

Jack had noticed that but didn't think anything of its significance.

"She doesn't generally give the young guys a chance."

"How did you get a go then?"

"Rosie knew her older sister, Viola. Hey, don't stress. If she doesn't want to give you a shot, it's her bad luck. We both know once you've completed your training you will be the best man on the team, even over me. Having someone younger on the team is definitely an advantage, which we have been trying to tell her."

Jack nodded, a grim expression on his face. Lee led the way out of the security office along a hallway. As he approached a dark timber door, he rapped his knuckles.

"Come in" the voice on the other side responded.

"Morning Ms Thatcher" Lee said as he entered.

"Morning Lee."

Jack followed behind him quietly, his view blocked by Lee's figure but as Lee moved to the side he saw the woman in question sitting behind a huge white desk with giant glass panel windows stretching out behind her showing an amazing view of the city. She had her attention on her computer to the side of the desk.

"I'll just be a second" she said, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

"That's okay. I wanted to introduce you to one of our new guards, Jack."

Jack stood up straighter and tried to keep his face blank as he spoke. "Ms Thatcher."

Ms Thatcher's fingers stopped suddenly on the keyboard and she looked up from her desk at the sound of his voice. Her bright blue eyes locked onto his. She looked him up and down, not saying anything. Jack was starting to feel uncomfortable but he stood his ground, staring straight back at her, expressionless.

"Seriously?" she said, breaking the silence, her question hanging in the air.

"Yes ma'am" he said with a faint smile.

She stared at him for another minute. "Fine."

Ms Thatcher glanced back at Lee. "I've updated my schedule for this weekend so far. Who do I have with me tomorrow?"

"You have Jack and I. I will just show him the ropes for the next few days and then he should be right after that."

Ms Thatcher's eyes flitted to Jack's again. "Will that be long enough to show him everything he needs to know?"

"Yes. Jack comes highly trained and competent for the role. You have no worries there, Ms Thatcher."

"Very well" she said, her eyes shifting back to the computer screen. "Thank you Lee."

"No problem." Lee motioned for Jack to follow him. Jack glanced over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him to see Ms Thatcher watching him. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away as if she had been caught. Jack grinned at the thought.

Once they were back down the hallway, Lee laughed. "You are one lucky guy. I do not know how you managed that. She's fired so many guys on the spot just because she didn't like how they looked."

"I am as surprised as you. I thought I was gone for sure" he said in relief.

Lee turned his attention to his phone to look at the schedule. "Looks like it will be a long one tomorrow night. She's got a date with her boyfriend."

"We have to go on her dates?" Jack replied in surprise.

"Of course. That's the worst part. She goes out with so many losers. This one is a real jerk too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Anyway start a bit later tomorrow. Maybe ten?"

"How long do we stay with her for?"

"Until we've dropped her home but she doesn't normally stay out too late."

"Okay. Thanks Lee."

The rest of the day went without event. Jack trailed Ms Thatcher and Lee to lunch where she met up with a friend in a café down the block. He stood back against the wall, giving them sufficient privacy so he couldn't hear their conversation. Jack watched Ms Thatcher out of the corner of his eye. She laughed with her friend easily – this side of her he found quite curious. Ms Thatcher stayed in her office for the rest of the afternoon. Jack watched people coming and going out of her office but rarely got a glimpse of her. He spent his time learning the identities of the other employees in the office and what they did for the company.

As he got ready to leave he noticed Ms Thatcher leaving as well, heading for the private lift. She had one of the older guards, Ned, with her. He was the guy that had attended her to the café the last two mornings. He was now a bit concerned about this guys reaction time. Considering she had a bodyguard with her both times he had collided with her and the bodyguard was unable to do anything. Jack sighed and made a note in his notepad. He had been adding things all day, weaknesses he had noticed when reviewing the protocols and screens. He would bring them up with Lee later.

Jack stood, pulling on his jacket and headed for the door. He watched the monitors as Ms Thatcher walked across the carpark and got into the back of a car. The bodyguard followed and the driver pulled away. Jack glanced over the remaining monitors before he left for the day, heading for the subway again.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Elizabeth Thatcher was annoyed. The handsome man with the dimples had been standing in her office only moments ago. His expression had been blank but it was like he was challenging her. Daring her to give him a shot. Jack.

The same man that had hit her in the face with a door yesterday. The same man that spilt his hot coffee all over her that same morning. The same man that seemed to laugh at her as she walked away from him into the cafe. But there was something about him that intrigued her, yet she couldn't put her finger on it.

As Jack walked out of her office, she felt her eyes drift to his muscular back and his toned legs. Her eyes focused on his tight pants unconciously and just as he was about to leave out the door he glanced back at her, catching her in the act. He gave her a dimpled grin indicating his triumph before he disappeared around the corner. Elizabeth had felt her cheeks becoming heated and knew she was blushing brightly. She just hoped that her makeup hid most of the colouring.

She sat back in her chair, her arms crossing over her chest. Bill had encouraged her to start taking on some younger men in her security detail, to which she had been hesitant. She didn't need any distractions and she preferred more mature men. Lee had been the last one that she had accepted out of a favour to her older sister Viola and he had been great and was being groomed to take over from Bill. He had quickly fitted into the team and worked his way up the ranks.

But Jack … he was different. Not only was he handsome and fit but he seemed very confident. And that dimpled grin stayed implanted in Elizabeth's mind long after Jack had left the room.

* * *

Elizabeth's friend Olivia had called a week before and arranged to meet for lunch that day. Elizabeth walked out of the building with both Lee and Jack flanking her. She felt weird with two security personnel beside her but she knew it was necessary until Jack got the hang of things. She reached the restaurant a few blocks away to find Olivia already waiting for her.

"Bethie!" she squealed as Elizabeth approached. She gave her friend a hug before taking a seat opposite her.

"How do you have two young men with you today?" Olivia asked with a sly grin.

"One is new" Elizabeth said, waving off the topic as she picked up her menu.

"Well, the one on the side wall over there is cute! Can I have him?"

Elizabeth laughed. "No, he's mine" she replied playfully.

"Awww, since when do you have young, cute security guys?"

"Since he comes highly recommended" Elizabeth said as she perused the menu, closing it once she had decided.

"So tell me, is it true that you are dating _the _Bradley Weston?"

Olivia was referring to Elizabeth's current boyfriend, which she had been dating for just over a month. He was an up-and-coming model that had just signed a contract with Ralph Lauren.

"How did you hear that?" Elizabeth replied with a shy smile.

"You are? I knew it! You always get the hot ones."

Elizabeth had to stop herself from frowning. It was true, she had dated a long line of men but they were always short-term. It always came to a point that most of these men wanted more than she was willing to give.

"When are you seeing him again?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Is it serious?"

Elizabeth laughed. "What do you think? We've been dating for over a month but I only see him about once or twice a week. That's all either of us can fit in around work."

"One day you are going to find a man that knocks your socks off and you will drop everything you're doing just to be with him. Until that man comes along, why are you wasting your time?"

Elizabeth smiled. Her friend was right. "Because it's a lonely life otherwise. I don't want to just sit and wait for Mr Right … and what if one of these guys turns out to be him?"

"Come on, Beth. You grew up away from all of this. Money and fame don't matter to you but it matters to all of these guys you date. Please be careful" her friend said seriously, the previous humour gone.

"I will. Thanks Liv."

"Anytime."

The women continued to gossip and laugh through their lunch before Elizabeth walked back to her office. She thought about what Liv had said and she knew her opinion was real and honest. Elizabeth dived into her work when she was back at the office.

None of this lifestyle was what she ever envisioned for herself. Growing up Elizabeth had wanted to pursue art school but her father had talked her into doing something that would benefit his business in construction development. Her father's business had revolved around commercial development but it had become an empire when he landed a couple of huge contracts and now was one of the most sought after companies in the business. Elizabeth wasn't interested in business or engineering but as a compromise to her father, she went into architectural design. She completed her degree and interned for a commercial architecture firm and nailed a permanent job with them, quickly climbing the ranks due to her talent and work ethic. Surprisingly, she did enjoy it.

But all of that came crashing down when her father passed away suddenly from a heart attack. The only comfort to her was that he died almost instantly. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's father left a world of havoc behind him. A huge investment portfolio scattered all across the country as well as his thriving empire needed to be split between his four heirs.

Elizabeth's older sister Viola had recently married a man that worked out of Singapore, so she was no help. Her younger sister Julie was off running the globe on one shopping trip or another and she trusted Elizabeth to sort everything out on her behalf. Elizabeth's younger brother Tim was too busy being drafted for the San Francisco Giants at the time to care. Elizabeth was left to deal with distributing everything and filling the hole in the company. She loved her father too much to see all of his work go down the drain and her siblings agreed, so Elizabeth dropped everything to fill the void. She was so busy with the business that she never really grieved the passing of her beloved father and it was months later when the Christmas season approached that she had a breakdown and had to leave the company for almost a month until she could get herself back together.

Now four years later, all of those things were a distant memory. Some things had changed. Viola now had two children and was expecting her third, while still living as an expatriate's wife in Singapore. Julie had bought herself an apartment, claiming she was settling down, only to jet off somewhere every other weekend with a different man by her side, continuing to spend her inheritance like there was no limit. Tim was still playing ball all over the country and had become one of the most successful pitchers in the league. None of them had any interest in helping Elizabeth with the company so long as they got their shareholder dividend every year.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had been doing the same thing. Working seven days a week, twelve hours a day and going home to her empty house on the west side. As a hobby two years ago, she had remodelled the interior of a three apartment complex, turning it into one extravagant home with everything anyone could ever need. Although she did love the place and the whole thing felt like home, she still wondered what it would be like to come home to a husband and children but that dream seemed like it would never happen. At twenty eight years old, she felt like the life she had once dreamt of was far out of her reach.

Elizabeth sighed heavily as her attention turned to the current contract tender she had sitting on her desk for a huge high rise planned for Brooklyn overlooking the Hudson River that she needed to review before submission. She grabbed a pen and started reading.

* * *

The following evening, Elizabeth had slipped into the bathroom off her office and began getting ready for her date with Brad. Honestly, she wasn't too excited to see him but going out for dinner and talking to anyone was better than going home to eat a microwaveable meal on her couch and watching reruns of Sex In The City.

She had a quick shower and stood in front of the vanity to reapply her makeup. When they had designed these offices for a firm three years ago, Elizabeth thanked the foresight of one of the head architects to put bathrooms in the main offices on the higher floors. When this building came up for lease, Elizabeth jumped at the opportunity knowing the benefit of the entire building design and moved the business over immediately. Having a private bathroom with a shower and vanity had come in very handy over the last year and saved her a lot of time from having to go home. She kept a selection of dinner and cocktail dresses in the cupboard that her stylist automatically stocked for her.

Elizabeth pulled on a tight navy blue cocktail dress. It had some gold embossing that covered one side while the neckline sat quite high at the front making it look quite conservative. The back of the dress was a different matter though and it plunged down to expose Elizabeth's toned and tanned back. She plaited some strands of hair together and pinned it to the side before pinning the rest of her auburn hair up in a messy bun. She finished applying some lipstick before slipping on some gold strappy shoes. She went to a drawer, pulling out some gold hoop earrings and a gold clutch that the stylist had left to go with the outfit. After one last glance in the mirror, she walked to her desk and paged Lee.

"Yes, Ms Thatcher?"

"I'll be ready in two minutes."

"Okay. We'll be there."

Elizabeth finished transferring her cards and phone to the new clutch, putting the remainder in her overnight bag to take home with her. She grabbed a light grey coat off the stand and headed for the door. As she stepped out, Lee was standing there waiting as was Jack. Lee held out his hand to take her bag and she handed it over, thanking him. Elizabeth glanced at Jack for a moment before walking past him. The scent of his aftershave caught in her nose as she did and she couldn't help breathing in the freshness. He smelt too good.

Elizabeth shook it off and kept walking toward the lift with the two men following her.

* * *

After a long afternoon of reading protocols and being grilled by Lee, Jack was more than ready to stretch his legs and get out of the office. When he heard the call come through to Lee, he stood up quickly, securing his side arm before throwing on his black work jacket and followed Lee out the door.

Elizabeth walked out of her office as soon as they got there. Jack expected her to still be in her business suit that he had noticed her in earlier that day, but she took his breath away as he saw her in a high-necked fitted navy and gold dress. She glanced at him, their eyes locking before she passed him. Her perfume practically hit him in the face and he breathed it in as he turned to follow her. His eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw the back of her dress though. It was a total surprise after he saw the conservative front and now the sight of her toned back was doing things to his insides that were not welcome.

_She's your boss, you idiot. Keep it together._

Elizabeth stepped into the lift. Lee stepped in first and once again Jack made the mistake of glancing at Elizabeth as he moved to the other side of her. His eyes locked with the bright blue ones in front of him and he couldn't help but say something.

"That's a beautiful dress, Ms Thatcher."

"Thank you. My stylist picked it for me."

"She did a great job. It looks perfect on you" Jack said with a genuine smile.

Elizabeth didn't say any more, but Jack was sure she was blushing. Lee and Jack both stood slightly behind her as the lift descended and as they stepped out of the lift, Lee elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a look as if to say "Don't ruin this".

"What?" Jack mouthed back.

Lee glared at him as they made their way to her private car that was waiting in the basement. As soon as Lee held out the door and Elizabeth slid inside, he shut the door and turned to Jack.

"Don't say anything to her. It's not our business what she wears and we don't provide opinions."

Jack just shrugged. "I didn't say anything wrong."

Lee glared at him again before opening the door and getting in the car beside Elizabeth. Jack went to the passenger seat and got in beside the driver. They headed to the restaurant and Elizabeth's date in silence.

* * *

"It looks perfect on you."

Jack's words rang in her ears and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. He must have really liked it if he said something. Instead of thinking about her date with Bradley, all Elizabeth could think about was her handsome security guard.

They pulled up to the restaurant and Lee held open her door just as a hand reached in to help her out. Elizabeth took it and realised it belonged to Jack. His large, warm hand fitted around her smaller one perfectly. He helped her out before stepping back behind her, his face expressionless once again.

Elizabeth walked into the restaurant, her hand still tingling from his touch and the nerves in the pit of her stomach reacting similarly. She cursed herself for reacting to a man in this way. Not any man either, but one of her employees. Jack stepped forward, holding the door open for her as she stepped through.

Elizabeth saw Brad waiting at a table to the side of the room and she immediately went toward him. He stood up and opened his arms to her and she stepped into them.

"Hi beautiful" he said as he kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Hi."

Brad pulled out her chair for her and she sat down. She could feel eyes on her more so than ever before, even though she always had guards with her. They usually remained invisible and she never noticed their presence. But now with Jack among them, she didn't feel alone. It both bothered her and comforted her at the same time.

Brad started a conversation about the work he had been doing for the week. He was a handsome man with blonde hair and almost beautiful features. His eyes were dark brown and his lashes long, nearly feminine. One thing that he didn't lack was confidence. The first ten minutes or so he spoke non-stop about himself. Elizabeth didn't really mind and she listened with interest, although she did notice he never asked how she had been going.

They ordered their meals and afterward Elizabeth excused herself to use the restroom. She noticed Lee in the corner and she gave him a nod to signal where she was going, so he stayed in his position as she walked by him. She also noticed Jack standing closer to the exit. His eyes met hers and he gave her a friendly nod as she moved away.

Upon returning she saw that Jack had moved closer to Lee, she could see he was angry about something. His fists were clenched at his sides and he was having words with his superior. Jack must have noticed her returning so he moved back to his post as Elizabeth returned to her table.

* * *

Almost the minute Elizabeth had left the dining area, her date's eyes began to roam. Jack first assumed it was out of boredom but as a waitress passed by in a short black skirt, he saw first-hand what Bradley Weston was looking for. His eyes had zoned in on the waitress' legs and rear and a minute later he had summoned her to his table. He spoke to her quietly and Jack watched as he flirted with her and noticed that she returned his attention just as eagerly. Moments later Brad reached his hand out and ran it up the waitresses leg and she reached out and gently brushed his shoulder before refilling their water glasses and moving away from the table. Jack watched as Brad continued to follow the woman with his eyes.

Jack was furious. He felt like going and punching the guy's lights out but knew he couldn't make a scene. Instead, he glanced at Lee who was watching Jack. Lee motioned for him to calm down and Jack immediately left his position to come to his side.

"What the hell was that?!"

"I told you this guy was a piece of work" Lee said under his breath.

Jack was still clenching his fists. "We can't just stand here and do nothing."

"We can and we will" Lee said quietly. "Calm down, Jack. I know it's frustrating but it's not our place."

"Not our place. Ms Thatcher should know who she's dating."

Lee gave him a sideways glance. "She can make her own decisions about who she chooses to date."

"It's not right!"

At that moment he noticed Elizabeth coming back into the room. He waited for her to pass, seeing her glance between him and Lee, before Jack returned to his position at the door.

Jack watched Elizabeth and Brad continue their meal, eating their dessert, while Brad continued to flirt with her, Jack's fury intensified. He didn't know what to do, but no woman deserved to be treated like that.

When it finally wrapped up and Jack noticed Elizabeth was getting ready to leave, Jack let out a sigh of relief and just hoped that she was planning to leave Brad here and not take him home with her. He wasn't exactly sure, but he hoped that Elizabeth wasn't the type to entertain men regularly in her home otherwise this job was going to take its toll on him.

Brad walked Elizabeth outside, helping her with her coat. Jack could hear their conversation now and he could see that Elizabeth was eating the words right out of Brad's hand. Finally, Elizabeth said goodbye to him. Brad leant in and reached his hand to cup her face before pressing his lips to hers. Elizabeth didn't take it too much further and pulled away before moving toward her car.

"See you later, babe. Let me know if you decide to come to dinner tomorrow night."

"Okay. Bye Brad" she replied sweetly.

Jack took a seat in the back of the car beside her as Lee went for the passenger seat. The twenty minute trip back to her house seemed to take forever and when they finally arrived, Jack got out and held his hand out to Elizabeth to help her from the car.

"Thank you, Jack."

"Your welcome, Ms Thatcher."

He walked her through the front entrance to her home, past the security guards that remained stationed there. She pulled out her swipe card for the internal lift door and he waited for her to go into the lift.

"Goodnight Jack" she said as she stepped inside.

"Ms Thatcher?" he said, as he held his hand over the sensor to stop the door from closing.

"Mmm?" she said, halting her steps.

"He's not good enough for you."

The surprise was evident on her face. "Brad?"

Jack nodded. "He's a player."

"Oh really?" she said unsure how to respond but something about his comment made her defensive. "How do you know? He says I'm an excellent judge of character."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Flattery can get you anywhere. He flirts with other women. He's playing you."

He could see that he'd made her angry. Her hands immediately went to her hips and she glared at him.

"You think I'm in search of flattery?"

"No. I just …"

"You don't know me, Jack, nor Brad."

"I know I just think you should be wary of him."

"Noted. Good evening" she said, pressing the button on the inside of the lift.

Jack stepped back and let the lift doors close in between them. Jack walked back to the car. _Well, that could have gone better_, he thought to himself. He climbed into the back of the car as it headed back to the office building to drop him and Lee off.

"You said something, didn't you?" Lee asked from the front seat.

"Yeah."

"She didn't take it well, did she?"

"No" Jack said with a groan.

"Jack, if you want to keep this job, keep your mouth shut and opinions to yourself."

"Yes, boss."

"I'm not being your boss right now. I know you need this job. Think about Hannah."

Jack nodded and continued staring out the window.

* * *

Elizabeth stood on the inside of her home, her back leaning against the wall of the hallway. She had been angry when she left Jack downstairs but as she calmed down, she thought about his words.

He could be right. No one had ever been that honest with her before and, unfortunately, she had to figure out the flaws of the men she dated on her own.

_Jack's out of line. He should have kept his opinion to himself._

She pulled off her shoes, dropping them on the floor lazily before she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She continued battling with herself as he readied herself for bed. As she collapsed onto her pillow, pulling the blankets up under her chin, one face kept drifting back into her mind. One that she was unsure as to whether she could trust just yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Elizabeth woke up the next morning happily. She laid in her comfortable king-sized bed staring up at the ceiling feeling blissful until all the details from the night before slammed back into her mind. Immediately her smile was gone and her lips pursed together as she thought of her new bodyguard and what he had said. She lay there and stewed about what to do before she made up her mind. Grabbing her cell from the bedside table, she swiped the screen before sending a text.

_That will do it. Now we'll see who is the more truthful one,_ she thought.

* * *

Jack was working that Saturday and then he was going to have two days off. His first week on the job had gone well although the last few days he had mainly spent reviewing protocols and procedures, he knew next week would be better.

Since it was Saturday, Jack showed up at Elizabeth's residence and checked in at the security office on the bottom floor of her building. There was an older security guard there that had covered the night shift who introduced himself as Alan.

It was a small room off to the side of the entrance and was once again filled with security cameras that were located all around the more public areas of the premises. There was also another panel with motion sensors linked to a map that he stood in front of studying.

"That shows each level of Ms Thatcher's apartment" Alan informed him.

"How many levels are there?" Jack asked.

"There's three. Her living space covers two areas, although she spends the majority of time on the top level. The lower level, shown here" he said pointing to the area where there was a flashing light, "this is the indoor swimming pool, gym and games room. Ms Thatcher is in the gym as we speak."

Jack stared at the map and tried to commit it to memory.

"So there are no cameras in that area?"

"No, just motion detectors. As soon as Ms Thatcher steps into the lift, she is not visually monitored. She relies on us to detect any disturbances from the outside of the property. We have monitors on the carpark and all access points around the ground floor of the building. We have only had one case where someone has tried to gain entry but that turned out to be a case of petty theft rather than a threat to Ms Thatcher personally."

Jack nodded as he continued to absorb all of the details. At that moment, Bill arrived for his shift to officially relieve Alan. Alan handed over to Bill before he farewelled both of the men and left.

"So Jack, today we are at Ms Thatcher's disposal. She normally does some exercise in the morning until about nine and then she lets us know the plan for the day."

Jack nodded in agreement.

"How was your first week, Jack?"

"Good. Hopefully I haven't annoyed anyone too much to get me kicked off the team straight away" he said with a chuckle, while his thoughts went back to his comments to Ms Thatcher from the evening before. If Jack was going to annoy anyone, it would definitely be her and he would have already achieved that on his first day.

Bill laughed along with him, before clapping him on the shoulder. "You're not that bad, son."

Jack smiled at him but the last image of Ms Thatcher's furious expression was still ever present in his mind.

* * *

Elizabeth spent the day at home, preparing herself for the evening. She was going to meet up with Brad at some restaurant that turned into a club as the night went on. She had carefully roamed through her wardrobe until she found a dress that should keep any man's attention solidly on her, let alone the man she was actually seeing. A dark red tight-fitting number that left little to the imagination, she slid into it as the time approached.

Her hair and makeup was already done. Her long auburn hair fell down her back in loose curls and as she stared at her reflection in the mirror she was almost worried about the look she had pulled off. This wasn't at all her, but she was going to test Jack's theory tonight. Hopefully he was wrong but at the same time she felt discomfort in her stomach that if he was wrong, Brad would be expecting a whole lot more at the end of the evening then she was willing to give.

Shaking off those thoughts, Elizabeth pulled on a pair of nude pumps and grabbed a matching coat. She pulled the coat on and wrapped the tie around her waist tightly so none of the red number could be seen. She pulled her hair out of the collar and draped it over one shoulder before walking to the elevator door, grabbing her clutch on the way past the side table.

Elizabeth had called ahead to let Bill know her plans and as she stepped out of the lift, looking down at her feet as she walked she was surprised when after leaving the main entrance to her home, a set of feet were heard falling in behind her even though she glanced ahead to see Bill waiting for her. Elizabeth glanced behind her and stumbled as she saw Jack right behind her. Jack hurriedly reached out, catching her before she face planted it on the walkway.

His arm had wrapped around her waist to steady her and she froze at the contact. She lifted her head to the side to find him mere inches away from her face. A gentle smile graced his features, his intense eyes locked onto hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Elizabeth had regained her footing now, but she straightened up. "Fine, thank you."

She pulled away from Jack quickly, hoping that he couldn't see the tinge of pink that had flushed her cheeks at the contact she made with him. She hurriedly walked toward Bill, easing herself into the car and only when the door closed did she realise she was practically still holding her breath. She shook her head, not understanding how one man could make her so flustered after knowing him for only a few days.

* * *

Jack could hardly breathe after being in such close proximity to Elizabeth yet again. She was so beautiful and those eyes had seemed like they were piercing straight through him, seeing straight into his soul. It was both nice and nerve wracking at the same time. But she was still his boss.

He got into the front seat beside Bill as they drove to the restaurant. Only a ten minute drive, Jack stepped out and held open Elizabeth's door. He took her hand to help her stand while Bill organised valet parking. Jack remained glued to Elizabeth's side until Bill rejoined them and they followed her into the restaurant.

Elizabeth rushed forward when she recognised Brad. Jack stepped back to the side of the room, attempting to remain invisible while keeping a keen eye on his charge. When Elizabeth shedded her coat though, he felt his eyes widen at what he saw emerge. Jack inwardly groaned as he saw the tight dark red number that clung to every part of Elizabeth's toned body. She handed her coat to the waiter as Brad stepped forward to embrace her, his hand lingering a bit too low for Jack's liking.

Jack began to curse himself though. He was feeling so protective of this woman and he just couldn't figure it. It was like he saw her as way too innocent to be near a man like that. He tried to tell himself that it was the way he thought that he would treat a little sister but as he stared at those curves in the red dress he knew he did not see Elizabeth Thatcher as a little sister. Far from it. He wanted to run his hands along the sides of that dress and explore every inch of her. Jack groaned and shut his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and as he opened them again he felt his mind clear and his focus improve.

* * *

Elizabeth could feel his eyes on her and it wasn't the eyes that were sitting across the table taking her in that bothered her. Elizabeth and Brad ordered their appetisers but as they sat there and Elizabeth listened to Brad again, in almost a repeat from the night before, Elizabeth wondered what she was doing here.

When she was dressing, she had basically been thinking about Jack. Wondering if he would like her in red, whether he would like her dress, whether he would say anything to her again that night, and finally what it would be like for him to kiss her at the end of the night instead of Brad. She knew it was never going to happen. Elizabeth tried to refocus on Brad, but he was droning on about something that she hadn't even heard and now was lost as to what he was talking about.

The second that Elizabeth had finished her appetiser, she excused herself to go to the restroom. She walked toward the main exit behind Brad's line of sight and went to go down the corridor to the restroom when she saw Jack go to leave his position to follow her. She could see his face showed an expression that seemed to be bordering on anger. Elizabeth waved him off and he stopped and returned to his original position. As soon as Elizabeth was out of Brad's sight she turned back around and making sure he didn't see her, she had a quick word to a waitress before going over to stand by Jack's side.

"Jack."

"Ms T."

"Ms T?"

"Thatcher is too long. Ms T is better. Unless you find it disrespectful of course."

Normally that would have annoyed her but she found herself giving Jack a slight smile. "Not at all."

Elizabeth's attention fell on her table where Brad was still sitting waiting for her to return. Right on cue, the female waitress Elizabeth had spoken to went over to their table offering to get drink refills and pour more table water. Elizabeth watched as the waitress beamed at Brad and flirted with him. She continued to watch as Brad reached out to touch the waitress' arm, leaning closer to say something to her. Elizabeth saw the woman's face redden. She glanced at Elizabeth for a moment before she moved closer to him. Elizabeth watched in horror as Brad's hand dropped below the height of the table and ran down the waitress' exposed skin of her knee.

"Ms T" Jack said quietly, his arm reaching around her. "I'm so sorry, I …"

Elizabeth held her hand up. "No, Jack. You were right."

She took a deep breath and walked toward her table, approaching from the other side so she was standing next to Brad without him even realising.

"Why are you even bothering to have dinner with me if you like the waitresses more?" she asked.

Brad immediately dropped his hand and turned to her startled.

"Elizabeth, it's not what it looks like."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "I'm not an idiot. This was a huge mistake. Bye Brad" she said as she grabbed her clutch off the table and made her way toward the door. She went to give Jack a nod but noticed he was already close to her with a furious expression on his face.

At that moment, Elizabeth felt a tug on her elbow making her stop in place and turn to see Brad.

"Elizabeth, please let me explain."

"Let her go. Now" Jack said as he stepped up alongside her, angling himself between her and Brad. Jack didn't have to touch her but Elizabeth immediately felt safe in his presence. Jack's chest was puffed up and it seemed like he had grown in size before her eyes. His attention was locked on Brad and Elizabeth knew at once she never wanted to be on the receiving end of the look that he was giving Brad.

Brad slowly let go of Elizabeth's elbow with a sad expression that made Elizabeth almost feel sorry for him until she remembered what had just happened and she knew it was not the first time.

As soon as Brad had let go, Jack stepped fully between them, blocking her view of Brad. At that moment she noticed Bill in front of her, ushering her forward. She let herself be led away and only then noticed that they had attracted a bit of attention in the restaurant. A waiter held out her coat for her, close to the door which she took before leaving. She glanced behind her to see Jack a few steps behind and as she stepped outside, the cold embraced her.

Once Jack was beside her, Bill went to organise the car. Elizabeth shivered in the cold and immediately Jack placed his hand on her back coming around her side. Without speaking, he eased the coat out of her hands and held it up for her to allow her to slide her arms inside.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"You're welcome" he said quietly back.

Even with the coat on, Elizabeth continued to shiver. She felt an arm around her and found Jack leaning against her trying to keep her warm. As soon as the car pulled in front of her, Jack ushered her forward into the car before rushing around the other side and getting in beside her.

"Ready?" Bill called out.

"Yes. Let's go" Jack said back.

Elizabeth watched as Jack leant forward, pulling a blanket out from underneath the seat in front and unfolding it before pulling it over her legs. He then shuffled closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Only then did she realise that her teeth were chattering noisily. Jack's hand moved up and down on her shoulder trying to warm her up. He chuckled and Elizabeth looked up at him.

"How on earth did you get cold so quickly? You were outside for less than five minutes."

Elizabeth smiled but found herself leaning into Jack instead and allowing his warmth to encapsulate her. Elizabeth sat there unmoving, taking in his scent and the feeling of safety that his hard body provided. He smelled fresh and enticing and somehow still masculine. His hand moved slowly now on her shoulder, tracing circles on her coat subconsciously.

"I'm going to drive the car into the garage" Bill called from the front seat as he glanced at them in the rear view mirror.

Bill wound down his window and punched in a security number into a hidden panel before the garage door opened. Bill drove the car down the driveway and pulled in front of the elevator doors.

Elizabeth was disappointed when Jack pulled his arm away before reaching for the door. He alighted and turned back to take Elizabeth's hand, helping her out. Her small cool hand was dwarfed by his larger warm ones. Her eyes met his as she passed him toward the elevator. Jack leaned forward pressing the button.

"Thank you for tonight Jack."

"I'm just doing my job, ma'am."

Only then did Elizabeth realise her hand was still encapsulated in his. She pulled her hand away and smoothed down her dress as she waited.

"Well, that was a waste of time getting all dressed up" she mumbled under her breath.

"I wouldn't say that." She looked up to see Jack giving her a small smile.

The elevator door opened and Elizabeth quickly pulled away, embarrassed at how comfortable she felt in his presence. She gave him a small smile as the doors closed between them.

* * *

Jack lay in bed that night thinking. He wanted this job. He needed this job. But he couldn't shake the feelings he was developing for his boss. She was a beautiful woman and despite getting off to a rocky start, he knew he could become friends with Elizabeth in a different situation. Jack groaned._ She's my boss, she's my boss. Nothing more, _he told himself.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks for the reviews. I will do my best to keep updating this story and Happier. I'm not on lockdown here (yet) but I recently had a baby girl so I haven't had a lot of time for writing :) Thanks for all of your understanding ... and hopefully my stories put a bright spot in your day!**_

**CHAPTER 4**

Jack had two days off after that night out when Elizbeth had broken up with Brad. He returned to work on Tuesday morning eager to get stuck into it. Over the past week he had been reviewing the security protocols that were currently in place and Jack had a long list of concerns. His plan over the next few days was to watch everything that was going on to confirm his views and then organise a meeting with Lee to suggest necessary changes. He knew it could cause problems with the other security men that had been working there for much longer than him, but Jack knew security. After all he was ex-military. No one in Ms Thatcher's crew was better than him and he knew it.

Jack arrived early, two hours before his official start time. He took up a position in front of one of the vacant security monitors with his notepad and pen before quickly checking Ms Thatcher's schedule. He made a few notes and then waited.

Sure enough, at exactly 7:30 am, the town car pulled up out the front of the office building. Ned got out first and opened Ms Thatcher's door. Two long legs emerged before the rest of her body appeared. Jack's attention was drawn to those legs for a moment but he forced himself to watch the clock instead. Dressed in a navy blue skirt and matching jacket, Jack watched as Ms Thatcher straightened her clothing before grabbing her bag from the car. She headed for the front door with Ned two steps behind her. Jack recorded the time that she passed through security, waving to whoever was at the desk as they allowed her to pass and head for the private elevator. He made some more notes and waited until he heard her shoes clicking on the floor outside the security office as she walked toward her office down the hall. At that moment, the door swung open and Ned walked in.

"Morning" he said as he hung his jacket on a hook by the door.

"Morning" Jack replied. He sat back in his seat. Today was going to be a boring day.

* * *

By the time Jack left that night at close to 9 pm, he thought he had the start of the evidence he needed. Ms Thatcher's schedule was way too precise. The only thing that wasn't routine was the time she went home. Jack had managed to pull records for her computer login and logout times and paired with the private elevator data he had determined that Ms Thatcher arrived within a five minute window of a morning and left within a one hour window of an evening and she had done that every day since the business moved into the building. She had coffee at the same time twice every day and lunch at the same time too. If someone was trying to track her movements, it would be way too easy. And then there was the issue of her morning security.

Ned was responsible for being on the security shift every morning to pick up Ms Thatcher, bring her to work and attend her until lunchtime. After that the rest of the security team were rostered to either cover security on site or cover Ms Thatcher personally. But Jack already knew that Ned was too old to be useful. The damage Jack caused the previous week was evidence enough. Ned had just stood there on both occasions. Not only that, but he followed Elizabeth around rather than leading or actively searching for threats. Her entire security team was way too relaxed.

Jack had delved into the reason for security in the first place and it had all stemmed back to William Thatcher's time as CEO of the company. Ms Thatcher's father had several death threats for a time that was thought to be due to a particular development that had been proposed. It was to involve replacing some lower income housing in the city's north with a brand new skyrise that would drastically affect the community around it. Security was hired when the death threats arrived and when the contract fell through, miraculously the death threats disappeared too. Since William Thatcher had spent time hiring and setting up a security detail, it was easier to just keep them on not knowing for sure whether the threats were serious or not. Bill and Ned were apart of this original group that were hired.

There had been no further threats over the past five years which may explain why Ms Thatcher wasn't too fussed about updating her security team. Hiring Jack was unusual in the scheme of things.

Jack had perused the internet trying to dig up information online about his charge. There were occasional photos by paparazzi but it was usually due to the fame of the men she dated rather than her own profile. Jack needed to clarify exactly what the goal of Ms Thatcher's ongoing security was.

* * *

Elizabeth didn't see anything of Jack for the next few days. Not that she was looking for him. Why would she be looking for her handsome, new bodyguard with the nice green eyes and the dimpled smile that would make every woman melt? Elizabeth sat at her desk and sighed. Even when Jack wasn't around, he had become a distraction. She was yet to realise if that was a good or bad thing.

On Wednesday, Elizabeth went downstairs for her standard morning coffee with Ned by her side. She cautiously opened the side door to the café and saw Jack already waiting in line to order. Elizabeth took her place a few people back and overheard Jack's conversation with the server behind the counter.

"Hi Jack. The usual?" the woman asked with a bright smile.

Elizabeth frowned. She had been coming here for a coffee almost every day for a year and she didn't get a reaction like that. Elizabeth listened to the deep voice that responded.

"Yes, thank you, Lucy."

_Lucy? They were on a first name basis and he had been working in the building for a week. You have got to be kidding_, Elizabeth thought, getting more annoyed. _What was it about this guy? Did all women fall at his feet?_ Elizabeth continued to fume the longer she was waiting.

"Hi. What can I get you?" Lucy asked her as she reached the front of the queue.

"Large skim latte, thank you" Elizabeth said abruptly.

Lucy just gave her a small smile and put through her order. Elizabeth turned to wait at the other end of the counter and saw that Jack was now watching her.

"Jack" she said, with a nod of her head and a smile. Jack returned it with a small grin.

Gone was the friendly smile that the waitress has gotten. Elizabeth knew she was being silly, but her annoyance grew. She knew she was Jack's boss but the least he could do was reply with her name. Jack's coffee was ready a minute before her own and he picked it up, putting the lid on firmly before turning to walk past her.

"Oh, so you do know how to put a lid on your coffee?" Elizabeth muttered quietly.

Jack's eyes met hers and he raised his eyebrows and gave her a dimpled smirk before leaving the café. That simple action made Elizabeth's heart flutter and she shook her head in annoyance at the effect Jack had on her. _No. I will not be another one of those women_, she thought in defiance.

* * *

On Wednesday morning, Jack had monitored the screens early for the same purpose as the day before. He recorded the times diligently and five minutes before her boss' expected coffee break, Jack left the security room and dashed downstairs. He lined up to order a coffee and smiled when he saw Lucy behind the counter again.

When Jack moved to the side, he noticed Ms Thatcher was already in the line behind him, a stern expression on her face. She wore a grey dress today, that hugged her body showing off her tiny waist and toned body. He watched as she ordered her drink before turning. Their eyes met and she looked straight at him. When she said his name, he froze momentarily. He wanted to acknowledge her by name but if they were going to improve her security that was one thing that would need to be addressed. Instead he gave her a slight nod in recognition before he turned his attention to Ned who stood several meters away from her. How on earth he would be able to get to her side if anything happened, Jack wondered. The meeting with Lee needed to happen sooner rather than later.

Jack colleted his coffee and despite how hot it was, he firmly pressed the lid onto the paper cup before turning slowly and making sure no one connected with his cup. Once he was in the clear, he heard Ms Thatcher mutter under her breath and he couldn't help but smile despite the bad mood she seemed to be in. He quirked his eyebrows at her before leaving the café, determined to find Lee.

* * *

"So you're saying we're not good enough, Jack?" Lee asked, humour lacing his words.

"Nooo" Jack replied slowly. "I'm saying we need to improve a few things."

Lee nodded slowly. "Okay. Hit me with it." He leaned back in his seat, his fingers pressed in a triangle underneath his chin.

They had taken over a small conference room that no one was using. Lee sat on one side of the table and Jack sat opposite him. Jack opened his notebook and began.

"First of all, you need to determine exactly what the purpose of security is. The whole setup is disjointed and once we work out the aim, we can better customise the group. Right now, you don't really seem to be concerned with security as there are no specific threats. In the last four years since taking over the company, Ms Thatcher has not once needed anyone on the team to step in, if you exclude a drunken guy running into her by accident one evening. So is that because she only needs a presence with her or is there actually no threat to her wellbeing."

"I always just assumed that she just felt more comfortable with us being there" Lee said quietly.

"Sure, but we can do better than that. I mean I ran into her twice in two days and physically hurt her on both occasions giving her a black eye and probably second degree burns. Sure it was an accident, but what if it was on purpose."

Lee sniggered. "You have a point."

"We need to re-establish our purpose and set security levels."

Lee nodded and over the next hour, they hashed out an outline that they would present to the rest of the team for feedback and introduce security levels. Scheduling changes needed to be made and staff education and rotations to be managed.

At the end of the meeting, the two men emerged from the conference room with a plan of action. Lee grasped Jack on the shoulder.

"I knew we hired you for a reason. A week on the job and look at everything you've noticed."

"You know me."

"Yes, I do. Let's go speak to the rest of the team."

* * *

On Thursday, Elizabeth walked into work with Ned at her side to find Lee and Jack talking and laughing in the hallway near the security office. Jack had a brilliant smile on his face that vanished instantly when he saw her. As Elizabeth approached, she noticed his posture stiffen.

"Ms Thatcher" Jack said, nodding as she passed by him.

"Lee, can I see you in my office when you have a moment?" Elizabeth said, barely acknowledging him.

"Certainly" Lee said falling in behind her as she headed to her office.

Elizabeth walked in, placing her coat on the stand before rounding her desk, pulling out her chair and taking a seat.

"I have the charity gala tomorrow night. Who do you have with me?"

"Mason."

Mason was in his late forty's and was a huge man that towered over everyone there and had the biggest set of shoulders that Elizabeth had ever seen. He was an incredibly intimidating man to everyone else but Elizabeth had learnt that he was like a huge teddy bear – a real softie.

"Great. Thanks Lee."

Lee hesitated for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Would it be possible to arrange a meeting with you regarding some security improvements early next week?"

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "Improvements?"

"Yes. Our team had a meeting yesterday afternoon and since Bill is leaving soon, he was happy for me to implement a few changes to enhance your security detail and discuss these with you personally. When you have time of course."

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment. Lee had been with her for a few years now and Bill had been around since the beginning as he had been her father's right-hand man before he passed. Why would Lee all of a sudden want to change things?

"Why now?" she asked him.

"Sorry?"

"Has there been some threats made?"

"No, no, no. Nothing like that." Lee said shaking his head rapidly as his hands waved about in front of him.

"Soooo …" Elizabeth said slowly.

Lee sighed. "Jack."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "Jack? What about him?"

"I didn't elaborate much on Jack's background but he comes highly qualified. Like more-so than anyone else on the team and this is his specialty. Noticing the details."

"So you're saying that Jack has noticed some … deficiencies in our security and you've taken them on board?"

Lee nodded. "Exactly" he said, clicking his fingers together in her direction.

Elizabeth smiled at Lee's mannerisms. He had been employed for a number of years and was more like a friend now, despite them always maintaining a very professional relationship.

"Alright, well how about you speak to Eileen and see if I have some time tomorrow morning to squeeze you and Jack in." Elizabeth referred Lee to her secretary that was sitting outside her office.

"You want Jack to come too?" Lee's expression showed surprise.

"They were his ideas, right?"

"Yes, of course they were all his ideas. It's just normally you only meet with Bill, so I just assumed …"

"Bill is like an uncle to me. But now you are taking over his position when he retires but someone will need to fill your shoes and it sounds like Jack has already begun to earn that role."

Lee smiled at her. "Yes, that's very true. In actual fact, in another month I think he would supersede me too."

Elizabeth cocked her head at the side for a moment. As head of security, Bill tended to work most of the week and not as many nights as the rest of the team but the more Elizabeth thought about it, she didn't want Jack wasted at a desk.

"Lee, you have earnt that position through your loyalty to me. It sounds like Jack will be more suited to being out in the field instead of stuck behind a desk like you will be."

Lee nodded. "Correct as usual. Jack would go nuts stuck at a desk all day. He was only complaining- " Lee stopped abruptly realising he made a mistake.

"Complaining?" Elizabeth questioned with a knowing smile on her face.

"Um, no- nothing Ms Thatcher."

"He was complaining already?"

"Jack was just, um, saying that, um …"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow again, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, waiting.

"He said things were a bit boring … ah … and wished you did something more exciting …" Lee trailed off. "But he has only been here a week and you have been very busy and ..."

Elizabeth cut him off. "Put him on detail with Mason tomorrow night."

"Ms Thatcher …"

"It's fine, Lee. Make sure he knows about the dress code."

"Of course. Mason knows the drill but I will make sure Jack knows."

"Great. I will see you for that meeting tomorrow morning."

Lee nodded his head and slipped out the door. _Boring, huh? I'll show him boring_, she thought.

* * *

Lee left Ms Thatcher's office confused. He should have never said that but her response was what puzzled him. Her cheeks had gone red and she seemed to be embarrassed. He spoke to Eileen about an appointment in the morning, before heading back to the security office to tell Jack.

Jack looked up as he entered before glancing back to his computer where he was busy typing away. "I've just about finished this outline and then I will email it through to you."

"Great, thanks. Look, Ms Thatcher wanted you present at the meeting to discuss your findings, so 10 am tomorrow and you're also on security detail tomorrow night for a charity gala. Dress code is black tie."

Jack shook his head. "What? She wants me at the meeting?"

"Yes. Looks like you've already managed to slide into my role" Lee said with a sad expression on his face. He did his best to look melancholy and was surprised that Jack believed it.

"Oh, no man. I am so sorry" Jack said jumping up from his seat. "I will just … um … look I will go speak to her and tell her I'm not interested and I guess I could hand in my notice if she's difficult about it …" he said sadly.

Lee realised his little prank went too far. "Whoa, Jack. No, I meant when Bill leaves and I take his role, mine will be available." Lee watched as Jack's facial expression transformed into one of relief. "But thanks, man. That is quite honourable of you to suggest doing that." Lee beamed at him and was glad when Jack didn't take the joke to heart.

Jack shook his head. "Wait a second, what did you say about tomorrow night? I was on the day shift tomorrow."

"Well, that was my fault. It's been changed. I may have implied you want a bit more excitement so you're now attending the gala with Mason" Lee said slowly.

"Oh no. You didn't tell her that did you?"

Lee shrugged apologetically. "Yes, sorry. It was an accident. Holding my tongue isn't my strong suit these days."

Jack grinned. "Looks like Rosie is rubbing off on you …"

"Don't you- "

Jack laughed out loud. "Looks like I better pull out my black suit then. Hopefully it was clean when I packed it away all those years ago."

"You haven't been wining and dining any ladies in your suit lately, Jack?" Lee teased.

Jack shook his head and with a smirk he added. "That would be the navy suit, Lee."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Just before 10 am the next morning, Jack and Lee walked into the small conference room and took their seats to wait for Ms Thatcher. Lee opened his folder and took out a copy of the proposal that Jack had formulated and placed it in front of him. Jack sat opposite him and tried his best to look relaxed, even though he was anything but.

Jack had found himself thinking about everything all night and had ended up getting little sleep because of it. He had continued to run over everything in his mind while he was at the gym that morning, while he ate his breakfast and when he caught the subway to work. Jack had asked himself several times why he cared so much but it came down to the fact that he wanted Ms Thatcher to realise that he was smart and not just muscle and braun.

When he had got to work he had added a few more details to the proposal before printing off a final copy and putting it on Lee's desk. As soon as Lee got in, he reviewed it again. They had both been very thorough and were more than prepared, but Jack was still on edge.

"Impressive, as always Jack" Lee said after the final review.

"Thanks Lee."

"Let me guess? You've been thinking about this all night, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well it was different if you were presenting the ideas from us as a team rather than acknowledging my contribution."

"Don't worry about it, Jack. I will take responsibility for anything she doesn't like" Lee said with a laugh.

Now they sat there opposite one another waiting to present their proposal to Ms Thatcher.

"It will be fine, don't stress Jack. She is quite approachable about these things."

"Sure." Jack wasn't as certain.

A moment later, Jack heard his boss' heels heading down the corridor and then she was walking through the door, enveloping Jack in her subtle perfume as she moved to the seat at the end of the table. Jack tried not to notice the sway of her hips as she passed, or the way her knee length skirt hugged her figure but it was useless. He squeezed his eyes shut and resettled himself in his seat before opening them again.

"Gentlemen" Ms Thatcher said with a nod to both of them. "What have you got for me?"

Lee glanced at Jack quickly before beginning.

"Ms Thatcher, as you know you have a security team consisting of six men that work on a rotating roster to accompany you wherever you go and monitor your general security as well as four others that work from your residence. This has been the process for the past four years and was carried over from your late father after he received several threats that arose upon his consideration of a particular contract at the time. Despite your … situation …" Lee said waving his hand at Ms Thatcher and her eyes narrowed.

"My situation?" she asked interrupting him.

"Yes, being a young, wealthy female" Lee added hurriedly.

Ms Thatcher's eyes remained narrowed but she waved him on to continue.

"Despite your situation" Lee continued, "there have been no personal threats to either you or the business over that time which leads us to why we are here today. What do you see the purpose of your bodyguard to be?"

Ms Thatcher glanced between Lee and Jack, clearly unsure how to respond.

"What Lee means is you have a security team watching your every move" Jack added. "Is the man that remains with you for your own sense of security, do you perceive a risk to be there but it is discouraged by the presence of a bodyguard or do you not really care and just have one for the sake of having one?"

Ms Thatcher's eyes raised in surprise.

"You think I like having someone trail me every second of every day?" she asked him, clearly annoyed.

"No" Jack said slowly. "Your answer will impact how we proceed from here though."

Ms Thatcher considered his question for a moment. Jack watched as her mind ticked over.

"I guess it is a combination of my Dad already setting the team up and me not wanting to fire anyone … and even though there has never been a threat I believe it's because the team has always been visible to anyone who would threaten me."

Jack nodded almost imperceptibly.

"That brings us to this" Lee said as he slid the proposal across the table toward her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It is a list of the proposed changes we are planning to make."

"You just asked me which of the two approaches I would consider …" Ms Thatcher said, reaching for the paper but giving Lee a stern look in the process.

"Yes, but Jack here already knew what you would say" Lee replied with a smirk.

Ms Thatcher's eyes darted to Jack's in surprise. "How could you know that?"

Jack leant forward on the table, clasping his hands together. "If it was for your own sense of security you wouldn't generally have your security team trailing your every move. They should be up front and centre, scanning for threats and preventing say, oh I don't know, even a door from hitting you."

Ms Thatcher reared back like she had been hit.

"You should be protected, Ms Thatcher, after all that is what we're being paid to do" Jack continued in a softer tone.

* * *

Elizabeth sat beside the two men at the table unsure what to say. Jack was a puzzle. One minute he seemed so cold and the next he seemed kind and genuine. He had just referred back to their first meeting with humour and a tone of ridicule even though she still found herself blushing over that incident. Then in the next breath he was reassuring her. Elizabeth breathed out slowly.

"Fine. So what do you propose?"

The rest of the meeting was filled with details regarding an upgrade to the security team but making it appear less visible. Jack recommended hiring several younger men to improve the skill level and move the older guys into different positions. The largest setback for Elizabeth was the changes in her schedule.

"So you're saying I can't go to coffee when I want to go to coffee?"

Elizabeth knew she was scowling but she liked her routine. She would never take breaks if she didn't go the same time every day.

"No, you can, but you need to widen your window."

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Bill poked his head inside.

"Sorry to interrupt, Lee but your wife is on the phone and she won't take no for an answer."

Lee shook his head and began to stand up. "Ms Thatcher, I'm sorry would you mind if Jack finishes off the last few details with you."

"That's fine, Lee. I know how Rosie can be" she said with a smile.

Lee picked up his notes and disappeared out the door after Bill. Elizabeth turned to Jack.

"So what time window am I _allowed _to have coffee?"

"I'm sorry. I know you don't get told what to do … probably ever" he said getting more frustrated. "But we are just advising that you don't go to coffee at the exact same time every morning, nor leave your house and arrive here at the exact same time either or –"

Elizabeth cut him off. "Hang on. I have to change my start time too? This is getting a bit out of hand."

"No, it's not. Just think if there were an actual threat on your life or even if someone wanted to kidnap you for ransom they would know that you walk out of your apartment every morning within a five minute window or arrive at work within the same time frame. Now that is easy money."

Elizabeth stared him down. "I don't like this."

"I know you are a creature of habit-"

"Hey!" Elizabeth interrupted again.

"-but this is what I would recommend. If I was being paid to kidnap you, I would've succeeded already."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. Jack shook his head, holding his hands out in front of him. "Not that I would have I'm just saying I could have overcome Ned in about ten seconds and taken off with you in a minute at 7:30 am every morning this week or again at coffee. I know you like Ned but he isn't fast enough to react and couldn't help you if anything happened."

"And you could?"

"I'm the best chance you've got."

The silence fell in the room as Elizabeth stared Jack down. His eyes bored into hers and she knew that he was right. The way he filled out his shirt compared to everyone else on the team should be evidence enough. The sleeves were nearly too tight on him and she could see his bulging chest muscles today as well. _Someone has been working out_ _this morning,_ she thought. It was too quiet with just the two of them in the room. She felt like Jack was checking her out almost as much as she was doing the same. Of course she would prefer having Jack by her side as her bodyguard over Ned – what young woman wouldn't? But there was no way she was going to say that to his face.

"Fine. I will trial your suggestions. But if it doesn't work …"

"You can go back to having your coffee at the same time every morning and I will do my best to keep you safe from opening doors" Jack said with a smirk.

For the first time, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. But then her mind went back to the previous morning when he barely acknowledged her. This man was such a puzzle.

"Well, if that's all, I better get back to the pile of work on my desk. Are you still on the night shift tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be ready."

"Great. Thanks Jack." Elizabeth stood and walked out of the room hurriedly before she thought of anything else and unwillingly blurted it out.

* * *

Jack had gone to the men's changeroom and was able to change into his black suit and tie ready for the evening gala. He couldn't do much about the 5 o'clock shadow that graced his jaw but he hoped Ms Thatcher found it attractive rather than untidy. He cursed himself as to why he even cared what his boss thought of his appearance but as he stared into the mirror and fixed his hair, he chuckled under his breath. Elizabeth Thatcher was way out of his league and as soon as he could force that into the forefront of his mind the better.

Ms Thatcher had gone home to get ready, but her personal car and driver arrived at the office to pick up him and Mason. Mason dived for the front passenger seat so Jack reverted to sitting in the rear. He heard some conversation between the driver and Mason but Jack was content to sit back and enjoy the ride. He fixed his earpiece in his ear and adjusted the microphone inside the lining of his suit.

"Mic working Jack?" Mason called from the front seat.

"I think so."

"I hear you loud and clear. You will be on point duty tonight, Thornton."

"Alright."

Jack got the feeling Mason was trying to brush this off but Jack preferred being close to the action rather than being stuck in the car all night.

When they arrived at Ms Thatcher's apartment block, Jack went in and waited for her in the lobby. He chatted to Robert, another one of the security guards who monitored her property. Jack heard the ding of the elevator and turned to see Ms Thatcher step out in a long red dress that took his breath away. She hadn't seen him yet as she walked forwards, a giant slit up the side of the dress showcasing her long, toned legs. The bottom of the dress flowed elegantly while the top of the dress had a strapless corset design where the material criss-crossed over itself. It fit her body perfectly.

Jack coughed slightly, trying to clear the sudden lack of oxygen that was heading to his brain due to the sight before him. Ms Thatcher looked up from her phone.

"Oh Jack."

"Ms Thatcher. You look stunning as always" Jack said moving toward her. He held out his arm to guide her toward the car and noticed her cheeks had tinged a colour that was nearing the same red as her dress. He chuckled quietly.

"You better watch yourself, Jack. These compliments can go to a woman's head."

Jack smiled at her. "I doubt that. You must hear them all the time. Where is your date for this evening? I forgot to ask if we need to stop somewhere on the way."

"Oh, don't worry about that. He will meet me there."

"Right."

Jack reached the car and opened her door. Ms Thatcher slid in with Jack's help before he ran around the other side of the car. Jack sat in the car beside her in silence. Ms Thatcher had pulled out her phone and was rapidly typing as they drove before her phone rang in her hand. She groaned before answering. Jack had been assuming she was texting a friend or family member so was surprised when her tone changed.

"You have to be kidding me, Simon."

Jack listened to the other end of the conversation but couldn't hear much.

"I needed those papers a week ago. Not this coming Monday, but last week!"

The conversation went backwards and forwards for a moment before she abruptly added.

"Fine. Send them through and I will review them tomorrow. Have a good night."

Although her tone wasn't too annoyed on the phone when she hung up, Ms Thatcher pressed the end call button and began nervously tapping her phone on her leg. Normally Jack would've said something but Lee's warning rang in his ears. He turned his head to face out the window and bit his lip.

"My job never ends" Ms Thatcher muttered quietly.

Jack turned to look at her, seeing she had said it to herself rather than him.

"Not all it's cracked up to be?" Jack replied.

Ms Thatcher glanced at him in surprise, before a small smile settled on her face. "No, it's not."

"You must be looking forward to tonight though?"

Ms Thatcher stared at him for a long moment and Jack worried he had stepped over the invisible line again that defined him as an employee.

"Honestly?"

Jack nodded.

"No. I would rather be at home in my pyjamas, with a hot pizza, glass of wine and a good book."

Jack was surprised at that. He couldn't really see her doing that but maybe the appearance she puts on isn't her at all.

Before he could respond further, the car slowed at that moment and began to inch forward as guests got out of the cars at the front of the queue. Jack stared in amazement at the people exiting the vehicles.

"I'm sure Lee has filled you in, but security normally stays outside but one guard is permitted to stay close to me as I pass along the carpet and into the building and then wait just inside the foyer if I need you."

"Got it."

At that moment, the car stopped near the red carpet and Jack alighted from the roadside. He rebuttoned his suit jacket as he stepped around the car to open Ms Thatcher's door. He held out his hand to help her out of the car when out of nowhere another hand appeared.

"Allow me" the male voice from behind Jack said.

Jack didn't move and stood almost defensively in front of Ms Thatcher.

"It's okay, Jack. This is my partner for the evening, right Timmy?"

The man in question laughed. "Sure am, Bethie. Let's get this show on the road."

He practically pulled her out of the car and all she could do was laugh at his antics while Jack was horrified he almost pulled her arm out of its soccer. As soon as Ms Thatcher righted herself and put her arm through "Timmy's", they were surrounded by flashes and screams from the press and spectators nearby. They were almost swallowed up immediately and Jack struggled to maintain a visual. He stayed as close as he could without being in the way but the whole situation was overwhelming. Never in all of his years of training did he expect to feel so out of his depth as he did at that moment as cameras continued to flash around them.

Ms Thatcher stopped ahead and with her arm still in Timmy's, she posed in front of the gala backdrop and had her photo taken. As Jack stood and watched, he was truly in awe of this woman. A moment ago she indicated she didn't even want to be here but now she seemed to be truly in her element.

As she moved ahead through the main doors, he was led to where the security personnel were allowed to stand, out of the way but in full view of the ballroom. His eyes focused on Ms Thatcher as she moved throughout the room, greeting people she knew, a glass of champagne in hand and a broad smile on her face. Her date stayed by her side the entire time, but Jack noticed he too knew a lot of people in the room.

Jack's ear piece buzzed to life all of a sudden.

"Do you copy?"

Jack spoke into his sleeve. "I hear you now Mason. Is there a problem?"

"No, we just had some interference. Do you have a visual?"

"Yes. Boss is making her rounds."

"Copy."

Jack watched as Ms Thatcher took another champagne from a server, her second in about fifteen minutes._ She drinks better than me it seems. And here I was thinking she would be a lightweight._

* * *

Elizabeth took another glass and drank it quickly.

"Bethie, what are you doing?" Tim asked her quietly as they walked away from the last group of people they had been speaking to. They stood alone for a few moments near one of the tables away from anyone else.

"What do you mean?"

"That is your second glass in about five minutes. Slow it down."

"I'm fine" she said, brushing him off.

"No you're not. What is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Not nothing. Tell me."

"I told you I broke it off with Brad …"

"Yeah. So?"

"He's here."

"Okay …"

"Over there."

Elizabeth nodded to a corner of the room where you could see a man making out with a woman. His hands were all over her and you could barely make out the identity of either person except that Elizabeth had seen them before they started eating each other. She was both disappointed and disgusted.

"So you're going to drink yourself into oblivion because Brad is an idiot?" Tim asked. "For my super wise older sister, you're not really being true to character right now."

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't know what's going on with me. I just want to find a guy that likes me for me and is not concerned with how I can advance his career?"

Tim smiled. "You need to stop dating guys like that then."

"Like what?" she said pouting.

"Seriously? The last three guys you have been out with have been an up and coming model, a football player and a wannabe musician. Come on, Bethie. You are better than that."

Elizabeth took another long sip of her champagne. "I know. I think I will just keep to myself for a little while then." She pulled away from her brother as she spoke but he held onto her elbow.

"Beth, no. I'm not saying don't put yourself out there."

"Then what are you saying?" she said more angrily than she intended.

"I'm saying don't be so naïve. Be more selective and find someone you really like. Be friends with them first before actually dating them. See if there's more of a foundation first."

"Says the guy who is a serial playboy!"

Elizabeth finished off the rest of her drink quickly and felt her head spin a little. _No, I'm imagining that. It's only two glasses, I will be fine._

"Don't get angry at me. I like my lifestyle and the women I get involved with understand that. I travel all over the country for the game and while I'm still young, I'm okay with that. But I know you, Elizabeth. You've always been a romanticist."

"Yes, I have. I am naïve but I still think it is just that I am hopeful for a happy ever after. It may never come though at this rate."

Elizabeth pulled away and thankfully her brother let her go this time. She went towards the table that she had been allocated. She could see another couple already seated and thankfully found her seat quickly on the other side. Glancing to the name tag on the table place beside her she drew a sigh of relief when she saw the name Susanna Osprey, one of her friends. She took her seat and immediately a server poured her another glass of champagne.

* * *

Jack watched as Ms Thatcher knocked back another glass of champagne. She sat at the table where another woman had just joined her and the pair laughed together. The woman who sat beside her was tall and slim with long black hair that covered most of the length of her spine. She must have been a model or actress, Jack thought. She was stunning. But then next to Ms Thatcher in that red dress, hardly anyone in the room could compete.

Jack watched as Ms Thatcher continued drinking as she finished her entrée.

"Mason, you copy?" Jack said into his microphone.

"Go ahead Jack."

"She's had a lot to drink. Is that normal?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Very rare."

Jack's brow furrowed. Why was she drinking then? He scanned the room and saw Ms Thatcher's date glaring across the room at something and when Jack realised what it was, he shook his head. Brad was across the room, his arms wrapped around some skinny red head. The resemblance to Ms Thatcher was uncanny but where she was all class, the woman in Brad's arms clearly had none.

Not long after, Jack saw Ms Thatcher rise after having a brief word to her date. Jack watched as she departed the room. He moved so he could keep an eye on where she was going and noticed she headed for the ladies restroom. He stood against the wall subtly so she, or anyone else, wouldn't see her watching him.

"Boss has moved. Eyes on" Jack said into the microphone.

The reply came through immediately. "Copy."

Ten minutes later, Ms Thatcher hadn't returned. Fifteen minutes later, Jack checked his watch again for what felt like the hundredth time.

"No movement from the restroom. Another five minutes and I will follow" Jack updated Mason.

"Copy."

Just before the five minutes were up, someone took to the stage in the ballroom and began addressing everyone. The voice rang out loud and clear. A few women hurriedly left the restroom to return to their seats but Ms Thatcher wasn't among them. There was still no sign of Jack's stunning boss in her red dress. Jack began to move. He hovered outside the restroom out of the way not sure what to do exactly until he saw a woman in uniform walking toward him.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Yes, sir?"

"My charge went into the ladies' restroom. Could you go in and see if Elizabeth is in there? She was wearing red. Can you just find out if she's okay?"

The woman nodded hurriedly and disappeared through the doorway and was only gone momentarily before she reappeared with a panicked expression on her face.

"Your Elizabeth is in here but she's collapsed."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Without thinking Jack rushed inside and followed the employee to the open door where his boss was collapsed in a chair. Normally Jack would have been in awe of the elegance of his surroundings, but there was only one thing on his mind. Ms Thatcher's eyes were closed as he knelt by her side.

"Ms Thatcher? Elizabeth?" he said as he touched her face, her eyes fluttered a little.

"Jack?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm just really tired."

"No kidding."

He glanced around and grabbed a handwasher from the stylish basket that sat beside the washbasin. He quickly put it under the cold faucet and wrung it out before bringing it back to Elizabeth's face. He knelt by her side and pressed it against her forehead gently, his other hand resting against her cheek.

"Oh, that's cold" she mumbled.

"It sure is. How do you feel?"

"Better. Dizzy."

"When was the last time you ate today?"

"Oh, um. Normally in the afternoon. But you said not to go on my normal break."

Jack stalled for a moment. "Hang on. You didn't go on a break at all this afternoon?"

"Mmm. Or lunch for that matter." She spoke in a dazed manner, her eyes still closed and her head in her hand.

Jack shook his head. "Why not?! I didn't say not to eat all day!" He spoke emphatically, trying not to reprimand his boss but was bewildered all the same.

"I have a routine for a reason, Jack. If I don't stop at the same time every day, I generally don't stop."

Jack rolled his eyes, grateful she couldn't see him. "Right, well we will fix that on Monday. Meanwhile, you do know drinking on empty stomach isn't wise, right?"

Elizabeth just waved her hand at him. Jack shook his head at her at the same time.

"Alright, I'm going to get you out of here. How does that sound?"

"Mmm" she said quietly, her eyes still closed.

Jack turned away from her for a moment. "Mason, I have boss. Can you meet me at the back exit with the car asap? We'll be there in two minutes."

"Copy. Is she okay?"

"Yes. She wants to call it a night."

"Got it."

Jack turned back to Elizabeth and was negotiating in his head about how to get her out of there without drawing any attention to her.

"Can you walk?" he asked her gently.

"Maybe."

Elizabeth went to stand and her legs gave out from underneath her and she almost collapsed before Jack grabbed her, lifting her up into his arms. Her own arms naturally wrapped around his neck and she slumped against him.

Jack turned to the employee that was still there trying to assist him.

"Can you show me to a back exit?"

"Of course, sir. Follow me."

The woman hurried out of the restroom and turned down the hallway, heading away from the main ballroom. Jack was just glad that no one else had come in while he had been attending Elizabeth and even now there was no one around. The odds of that alone were slim and he was wondering how long his luck would hold out.

As the employee opened the door to the back entrance, Jack saw a black car pull up nearby and Mason emerged from the front passenger seat. Jack rushed toward him and Mason quickly opened the back door and Jack placed Elizabeth inside.

"She okay?"

"Yes. I think we might need to ring in some food though …"

"Food?" Mason replied, confused.

"Yeah. Do you know where she gets her pizza from?"

"No, but I can find somewhere."

"Alright ring it through and get them to deliver it. She's going to need it."

* * *

Half an hour later, Jack was helping Elizabeth into her apartment. She was still unable to stand straight, so Jack had helped her into the elevator and Mason had put two fresh pizzas inside on the small table inside the elevator. The aroma of the fresh pizza was making Jack's stomach grumble.

"Oh, what is that smell?" Elizabeth asked from his arms.

"I believe it's your favourite."

Elizabeth perked up briefly. "Pizza?"

"Yep."

"Oh, wow. Lee was right."

Jack looked at her, confused. "Sorry?"

"He said you were the best at your job. Now I know why."

Jack laughed. "Just because I had some pizza ordered for you? No. I'm just making sure you're not hung over tomorrow."

Elizabeth chuckled and Jack smiled at the sound of her laugh. When she let her guard down, Elizabeth was so different to the appearance she projected. Even now her small figure fit in his arms perfectly, not at all heavy and oddly comfortable. A vast difference to the seemingly perfect exterior she put up in the office. The elevator came to a stop and Jack carried her inside.

"I can walk now, Jack."

"Are you sure?" Jack said as he eased her legs to the ground. Elizabeth put her hand out to hold onto the wall.

"I can stand while you grab that pizza."

Jack smiled. "Priorities, I guess."

Elizabeth began to walk slowly along the hall, her hand trailing the wall as Jack placed Elizabeth's shoes he had been holding on the floor and grabbed the pizzas.

"Where do you want them?" he called back to her.

"Through here."

Jack followed behind at a distance. As he rounded the end of the hallway, he watched as Elizabeth collapsed onto a comfortable cream lounge in the centre of the large room.

"Aaah. So good to be home."

Jack placed the pizza on the coffee table.

"Where is your kitchen?"

Elizabeth held up an arm pointing to the far end. Jack walked across the plush carpet to the tiles and headed for the doorway, past an extravagant fireplace and other decorations. He rounded the corner and the lights turned on automatically and he found himself in the biggest kitchen he had ever seen with marble counters and glass splashback. He looked around in awe at the tasteful furnishings. He found the fridge at the end and opened the huge appliance to see it fully stocked with healthy fruit and vegetables.

"Wow" he said under his breath as he found bottles of drink on the bottom shelf. He grabbed two water bottles and then proceeded to look in the kitchen drawers for plates. Every drawer he opened was neat and organised like it had never been used. He finally found a plate and some cutlery for Elizabeth before returning to the lounge. Elizabeth remained unmoved.

"Here you go. Water and a plate. Do you want me to get you some Tylenol or are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I think you're right. I just need food."

Jack opened the pizza boxes and placed a piece of each type on the plate before moving it closer to her. "All set. Do you need help up before I go?"

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open and she glanced at the plate of pizza in his hand. She slowly sat up, swaying slightly. She held out her hand, taking the plate from him.

"Thankyou. But aren't you going to have any? I can't eat two pizzas all on my own."

"Oh no. I couldn't."

At that exact moment, Jack's stomach let out another loud growl.

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side. "I think you could" she said slowly. "A delicious slice of hot, cheesy pizza on offer … are you sure you don't want any?" Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

Jack stared down at her. "I'm still on the clock" Jack said, although the thought of pizza was very inviting. And the company wouldn't be too bad either. Despite her predicament, Elizabeth was still stunning in her red dress and despite a few strands of hair being slightly out of place, she was still the picture of gorgeous in Jack's view.

"And what better way to be a bodyguard than to sit with your charge and eat pizza" Elizabeth said with a shrug as she took a bite and made an exaggerated sound of pleasure as she chewed.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you serious?" The sounds she was making were anything but innocent.

Elizabeth just laughed. "What can I say? I don't like eating pizza alone. It's a social food."

Jack rolled his eyes before he plonked down on the lounge next to her and grabbed a piece of the pepperoni pizza. He leant over the box lid before shoving a bite into his mouth, ungracefully.

"Mmmm. Oh, that is good. I thought you were kidding with all those noises you were making."

Elizabeth just shook her head, too busy eating now to form any reply. Jack finished his piece off in a few large bites.

"That was just what I needed."

"Stressful night on the job?"

Jack shook his head at her. "You have no idea."

Elizabeth laughed again. "Let me guess. Your boss giving you problems?"

"Yes. She's a worry. Passed out in the bathroom of all places … which reminds me, I didn't get a chance to get your purse."

"That's okay. My brother is probably wondering where I am. I will give him a call."

"Wait … that was your brother?"

"Yeah. Tim Thatcher. You didn't recognise him?"

"Aaah. Pitcher for the Giants, if I remember correctly. I know the name and he seemed familiar but I don't keep up with a lot of that at the moment."

"Too busy with work?"

Jack smiled. "Yeah, that and my niece. She keeps me on my toes in my spare time."

Elizabeth returned his smile. "That must be nice. Do you babysit for her parents?"

Jack's smile slipped off his face. Talking about his brother was still difficult. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Tom was really gone. Considering everything, his three year old niece Hannah was doing okay, but almost every day she asked where her Mommy or Daddy were. At the time, she barely knew Jack either as he had been absent for most of her life on deployments and existed in her world from video calls but he had become an important person in her life. Most of his spare time was spent giving his mom a rest from her full-time care. Nonetheless, Jack didn't want to get into the details of his private life with Elizabeth just yet.

"Something like that. Anyway, I had better get going" Jack said as he stood back up again and moved toward the door before he could think better of it. He turned back momentarily. "I hope you feel better and we'll address your breaks on Monday. Obviously not eating isn't ideal" he said with a grin. "Have a nice weekend, Ms Thatcher. Don't work too hard."

"You too, Jack. And thank you for everything tonight."

He gave her a brief nod and then he was out the door and into the elevator. As he passed the security desk on his way through the foyer, Bill happened to be there talking to Albert.

"Bill?"

"Hi Jack. How's Ms Thatcher?"

"Feeling better."

"Good. Great job out there today."

"Thanks Bill. What are you doing here so late?"

"Tim Thatcher called me when his sister disappeared."

"Oh, sorry about that. There wasn't time to let him know where she had gone. I should have told the woman who helped me but I didn't realise Ms Thatcher's date was her brother."

"Don't worry about it. Mason had already given me a heads up when the plans changed. I just thought I would drop in and make sure everything was okay."

"Yes, she seems to be sobered up now."

Bill smiled, shaking his head. "She has never done that before. Ms Thatcher is a creature of habit. I wonder what changed."

"Yes, we are going to discuss that on Monday. She didn't take any breaks because I recommended not to be so regimented with her schedule. So, it was partly my fault."

"Nonsense" Bill replied. "Don't sweat it. She's fine now."

"Alright. Well I'm heading home. See you Monday?"

"Yes. Have a good one, Jack."

"You too, Bill."

Jack walked out into the cool night air and headed for the subway. His thoughts still circled around the woman he left behind in her lounge room. She was both alluring and confusing all at the same time.

Normally, he would have asked Elizabeth out on a date because there could be no other reason as to why his thoughts continually revolved around her other than attraction. But she was his boss. Not only that, she was in a whole other league to him. She would make the same amount of money as him in one day compared to what he would make in an entire year. The small glimpse he had seen of just the furnishings in two rooms of her house would have made up the cost of his entire apartment. So there was no other option but to ignore his feelings for her.

If only it were that easy.

* * *

Elizabeth stirred slowly the next morning and was surprised at her surroundings. She wasn't in her bedroom. She looked at the ceiling and the different light that streamed into the room. She rolled her head slowly and saw the sun beaming in the large floor to ceiling windows of her sitting room. Scanning the room, she saw the boxes of pizza still sitting on the coffee table and her dirty plate beside them.

Elizabeth groaned as the memories of the previous night came flooding back. She had made a fool of herself in front of her handsome new bodyguard. She sat up slowly and was surprised that only a faint headache existed. She reached for one of the bottles of water, pulled the cap off and took a long drink before slouching back onto the lounge.

It had been a total disaster – the whole evening. Then she remembered her brother and groaned. She slowly stood up and when she knew her head wasn't going to spin, she walked toward the kitchen with the pizza boxes and plate. She cast them aside on the kitchen bench before addressing her phone. She had a pre-programmed landline with voice recognition which she had used surprisingly more often than she ever thought she would.

"Betty. Call Tim" she announced to the room.

Elizabeth had chosen the name for her system not realising how similar it sounded to Bethy. Whenever her sister Julie was over, the entire system got confused and they had accidentally called Tim on more than one occasion when his name came up in conversation.

"Calling Tim now" the computerised voice answered.

A dial tone sounded and then Elizabeth's brother's voice filled the room. "Hello?"

"Hey Tim."

"Ah, so nice that my responsible, older sister has decided to return my phone calls about … oh, I don't know … 12 HOURS LATER!"

Elizabeth cringed. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't in a state to think rationally, Timmy." Laughter boomed through the phone and Elizabeth frowned. "Why are you laughing?"

"Don't worry about it. I spoke to Bill last night and he filled me in. How hard were you drinking yesterday, Bethy?"

Elizabeth groaned. "It was on an empty stomach. I got distracted by stupid Brad and I was silly, I know." Elizabeth heard a voice in the background. "Is that Julie?"

"Yep. Putting you on speaker. Just a second."

A second later, Julie's shrill voice sounded through Elizabeth's kitchen as well.

"Oh my! Little goody two shoes Beth got drunk and passed out at a gala! I'm so proud!"

Elizabeth found herself glaring at her kitchen ceiling where the speaker emanated her siblings' voices.

"I am not a goody two shoes!"

"You're just lucky your bodyguard was keeping an eye on you" Tim continued. "You know I was a bit unsure about that guy when you first arrived because I know he's new and he was keeping a careful eye on you, but now I know it was a good thing that he did."

"What do you mean, he was keeping a careful eye on me?"

"It looked like he was giving me a dirty look or two at the beginning when I helped you out of the car and that, but …"

"Actually, we spoke about that. I don't think he realised you were my brother."

"That explains it then" Julie added.

"Explains what?"

"Your bodyguard must have a thing for you."

"No!" Elizabeth said quickly. "I mean, he's new but that's just Jack. He wouldn't like me like that."

There was a pause on the other end. "Hang on a minute" Julie said.

"What?"

"You like him!" Julie squeeled.

"What?! No! I …"

"You do. You always get all curious and defensive when you like a guy. You're voice gets more high pitched too. Remember my friend Jaxon back a few years ago? You liked him and you did this exact same thing, but he was already seeing someone at the time."

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did. So is he single?"

"What? No!" Elizabeth tried to stop the shrillness of her voice but it was useless. Julie was right.

"No, he's not single?" she asked.

"No, as in I don't know!"

"Well, you are single so you should find out."

"He's my bodyguard!"

"So?! Imagine how much of your body he could guard if you went out with him?" Julie giggled into the phone.

Elizabeth's mind filled with images of exactly what Julie was proposing.

"Ew, I don't need to think about that guy all over my sister!" Tim butted back in.

"What's wrong with Jack?" Elizabeth defended him before she realised what she was doing.

"Not him specifically, but any guy all over you is just not something a brother needs to imagine. I might need to have a chat with him."

"What?! No! I don't like him."

"You so do" Julie yelled into the phone. "I know you were just thinking about it!"

Elizabeth stomped her foot as she yelled at her ceiling. "I'm not discussing this any further. I just woke up and I'm kinda hung over so I'm going to go and let you two annoy each other rather than annoy me. Bye!"

"Bye!" they both sung through the phone and before Elizabeth could yell for 'Betty' to hang up, the line went dead.

"I don't like Jack" Elizabeth muttered to herself as she walked back through her apartment toward her bedroom.

"I don't like Jack" she said again as her mind wandered back to his hands on her face the night before, his strong arms carrying her, his warm hands pressed against her body, her head resting against his muscular chest. All of those images were exactly what she had always wanted in a man. Someone to make her feel safe … protected … comfortable. Elizabeth stood next to her bed.

"I _do_ like Jack" she said as she flopped backwards onto the covers with a groan.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

On Saturday morning, after Jack did his usual workout and ate a big hot breakfast like he always did on Saturdays, he went down to the garage of his complex and started up his black truck. It had been an extravagance in his life before he deployed which his dad had looked after while he was away. Although it was a few years old now, it still looked practically brand new. The black leather interior almost gave off that new smell all these years later. Jack had thought many times about selling it and getting something more practical but in the end he couldn't be bothered with the inconvenience. But if push came to shove and his niece Hannah needed something that him or his parents couldn't afford, it would be the first thing to get sacrificed. So far they were doing okay though.

Jack started up his truck, pulled out of the complex and headed for the south. Just over sixty minutes later and he pulled up to his parents small, but comfortable, home. When Tom and his wife Noelle had passed, Noelle wasn't working as she was at home caring for Hannah and Tom had been unemployed for some time before only just starting on a construction job. They had been barely making ends meet so by the time their finances were sorted after the accident, there was little left for Hannah.

Jack had already started up a savings account for her and every pay check he had been setting aside something for her. It wasn't a huge amount at the moment but it would build over time.

Jack got out of his truck and headed for the door. He saw movement at one of the windows and then he heard a squeal inside. He smiled to himself as he knocked on the door and put his key in the lock. He opened the door and called out just as a blur of colour bounded into his legs.

"Jack!"

"Hannah!" He said as he scooped her up into his arms. "How are you, kiddo? Wow, you've gotten big!"

Her mop of blonde curly hair hugged her face and she beamed at him. Her bright blue eyes danced about as he picked her up and threw her in the air. Looks like today was a good day.

"Where's Nanna and Pop?"

"In the kitchen."

Jack walked through to the kitchen tickling Hannah as he went. Her giggles made him laugh as well, they were so contagious. He was just so glad to hear her laughing so freely.

"Hi Ma" he said as he rounded the door to find his mother baking something. His mom was a great baker but anything savoury and it was better to eat dirt. Jack had never understood how she could master cakes and French pastries but ask her to cook a steak and it turned out worse than cardboard.

"Hi Jack" she said as he kissed her cheek on his way past. "How was work this week?"

"Better, I guess" he said as he put Hannah back down and took a seat at the kitchen table nearby. Hannah bounced at his feet for a minute before running off.

"That doesn't sound too good."

"No, it was fine. My boss is … an enigma. Let's say that."

Charlotte laughed from where she stood as she began piping some mixture onto baking trays.

"Is she really that bad?"

"No. She's just … I don't know … very set in her routines. She got in a bit of trouble last night but thankfully I was able to get her out of it before anyone saw what happened. I didn't think she was going to keep me on my toes but …"

Charlotte laughed. "But she will. Just the type of woman you need, Jack."

"No!" Jack said hurriedly. "She's my boss, mom. I would never do that, I-"

"Relax, Jack. I just meant that any woman that keeps you on your toes is a good woman. How old is this Thatcher woman anyway?"

Jack swallowed his words but knew he had given something away. Charlotte was a sharp woman.

"Oh. Um, well she's a few years younger than me."

Charlotte stopped what she was doing for a second and looked Jack straight in the eye. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Huh. I just assumed that she was mid to late thirties. But younger than you … is she single?"

"What? No. Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Get ideas in your head."

"I already had ideas in my head. You're a young, single guy and you haven't dated in ages. You need to find yourself a nice girl and have a family of your own."

"No, if I did that I couldn't help out with Hannah as much as I do."

"Yes, well your father and I were thinking about that. But maybe if you found a nice lady who wanted kids than Hannah would have some more kids to play with and … "

"Hang on. You want me to get married and have kids so that Hannah could have a family?"

Charlotte kept her eyes trained on the food in front of her. "Jack, we're not getting any younger."

Jack watched his mother carefully. He had been thinking along the same lines for a while but had never wanted to say anything.

"Is that what this is really about?"

Charlotte sighed before stopping what she was doing and rounding the kitchen bench to come and sit down beside Jack. She wiped her hands on a tea towel in her hands.

"Jack, your father hasn't been feeling well. He had some tests done last week and it looks like prostate cancer."

"Oh, ma …"

"It's okay. No cancer is good to have but it seems to be in its early stages and prostate cancer is one of the ones with better recovery rates."

"Does he need chemo?"

"We're not sure yet. Thankfully we have really good medical cover so chemotherapy or hormone therapy should be an option. I'm not sure what the time frame on everything is yet, but I have put Hannah's name down at that day care around the corner as well as another nearby. There is a bit of a waiting list but I'm hopeful she might get a spot soon."

"That's going to be expensive."

"Yes, it will be. But even just for a few days each week to give us a break and allow your father to get his treatment."

"No, I wasn't judging. I understand how hard it is, I just … wow, that's a lot to take in."

At that moment, Hannah came back in dragging Tom Snr behind her. Jack stood up and shook his hand affectionately.

"Dad. Ma just told me."

"Jack. We're okay. Don't worry about us here. You have enough on your plate right now."

"Sure, but …"

"It's early stages. I'm going to be fine."

Hannah stood between them holding up her hands to be lifted and Jack swooped her up so she was eye level with them.

"Princess Hannah. What should we do this morning?"

"Tea party. Pease?" she begged Jack innocently making eyes that could melt anyone's heart.

Jack grinned at his niece's pronunciation. "Sure thing."

"I might even have some cakes ready soon for that" Charlotte added as she went back to check her oven and pulled out a tray of éclair pastries. "Give me twenty minutes and these should be ready."

Jack put Hannah back down and let her lead him to her tea set which was already set up at her small table and chairs waiting.

* * *

Elizabeth's morning was slow. After talking to her siblings, she had sat staring at the proposal in front of her for almost an hour, hoping that the cloud in her head would clear but it was to no avail.

She threw it onto the coffee table in front of her and rested her head back against the pillow and swung her legs up beside her before closing her eyes. Finally, her head pounded a little less.

Why on earth she had got herself into such a state because of Brad she had no idea. He was a womaniser that had been caught in the act. She didn't want to be caught up with a guy like that but still it stung. What was so wrong with her that she couldn't find a guy interested in her and not her money, her name or her connections. It was exhausting.

The thing was that she wasn't getting any younger and she knew he was out there somewhere. She just had to find him. The only way she could do that was by putting herself out there.

Then out of nowhere, thoughts of Jack swarmed her mind.

_No! That's enough of that!_

Elizabeth quickly righted herself, grabbed the paperwork off the coffee table and walked toward her study. She sat down at her desk, pulled out a pen and got to work.

Three hours later, with her scribbles all over the document, she put it back in the envelope with an extra note stuck to the top and sealed it shut. She went to her room and pulled on shorts and a t-shirt before lathering herself with sunscreen. She took the elevator downstairs first and found Albert in the security room.

"Hi Al. Can you get this delivered to the address on the front?"

"Yes, Lizzy" he said taking it from her hands.

"I'm going to get some sun on the roof."

"Alright. Don't forget to drink some water. It's hot out there today."

Elizabeth had taken on Albert four years ago when her parents' estate was finalised. She had known him since she was a little girl and he was more like a grandfather to her. He was sixty years old now and had lived on the estate property with his wife when Elizabeth was growing up. His wife passed away some years ago now and had left him alone so when Elizabeth had renovated her property, she had made sure that there was a space available for him. Since she had no need for a butler, like the position he held for her father, he worked security in her building almost every day.

"Yes, well you shouldn't forget to take a break either. I know you can't stop working Al" she said with a smile.

Albert smiled back but just waved her off. Elizabeth went back to the elevator and caught it to the top floor. She stepped out into the atrium that covered the entrance. A solid rustic brick wall ran along one side and in the center of the room was an antique looking metal table with matching chairs and covered in comfortable cushions. The room had colourful orchids and white lillies surrounding the walls in various pots, a large fern in the corner and others hanging from the ceiling and ivy climbing parts of the wall. The sun filtered through the glass doors to the side. Elizabeth felt herself visibly relax at the sight of her favourite place.

Elizabeth had a gardener come in to check her plants during the middle of the week but on weekends, this is where she would spend as much time as she could. She had air conditioning running through the room to keep it the perfect temperature all year round and an automatic drip system setup. Elizabeth went to a hidden cupboard in the corner and took out her gardening gloves and pruning shears. She went to the large glass doors and unlocked them, propping them open as she went. She stepped out into the second part of her oasis and looked around.

A covered pergola ran along the length of one side with plants wrapping around the supports and passing overhead where white flowers hung lazily. At the end was a larger covered area resembling a beach cabana where a large sun lounge sat. Elizabeth grabbed a small bucket and walked along the timber flooring towards the cabana, looking around at her plants as she did. On the opposite side to the pergola was a medium hedge that ran the length of the roof and in the center were Elizabeth's garden beds that held roses, peonies, gardenias and other flowers that she would spend time maintaining. She wandered around slowly, clipping off the dead flowers and checking over everything. When she was done, she returned everything to its original place, before taking a seat on the sun lounge.

Elizabeth still had a mound of work to do. She could bring it out here but she always found she tended to do way too much daydreaming when she sat out here. The sun was still bright and she lay back on the sun lounge, promising herself it would be just for a moment. The heat from the sun and the slight hangover she was still recovering from was no match for her though as she closed her eyes and sunk into sleep.

* * *

Elizabeth sat behind her desk at work and stared at the contract in front of her. She was over this. She didn't want to read any more contracts for a month but even for the rest of the week would be a gift. There was a quick knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Jack stepped in. "Do you have a moment? I need to speak to you about something … important."

Elizabeth waved him in. "Of course. What's the matter?"

Jack closed the door behind him and walked into the room and stood beside her desk.

"The other night – someone saw what happened at the gala."

"Okay ... what did they see?"

"Me carrying you to the car."

"Alright. That isn't so bad."

"It's what they are saying that is the problem."

"What are they saying?"

Jack cocked his head to the side before stepping around the desk. Elizabeth stood up as he approached. She was concerned by his expression. The humour that normally sparkled in his eyes was gone. Instead it was replaced with a serious look that Elizabeth couldn't quite place.

Jack moved closer still until he stood facing her, looking slightly down at her despite her six inch heels. She felt his breath on her face as he leant into her ear, being careful not to touch her.

"They are saying" he whispered, "that you are having an affair with your bodyguard."

She felt herself shiver at his proximity and her whole body began to heat up. Still he didn't move away.

"They are saying that you are involved …"

His right hand now came moved toward her to rest on her opposite hip. The light touch seemed to electrify her whole body.

"With me."

At that his lips pressed against the edge of her jaw. She felt his other hand grasp onto her as his lips trailed down her neck and she arched her neck away from him to give him more room, he reached a spot on her collar bone and lingered there for a moment. Elizabeth closed her eyes as her hand found his neck, holding him there.

"Jack?"

"Mmm?" he said from his position.

"What are we doing?"

He pulled back to look at her. "This is what we both wanted, isn't it?"

His hands held her more firmly now, his large palms encapsulating her hips. All Elizabeth could do was nod and then his mouth was on hers, kissing her greedily and she was lost in how well he kissed and she never wanted to move away from his arms again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he shifted closer to her, hugging her to him and their kiss became more passionate and needy. Jack picked her up and placed her on her desk before he moved between her legs, his hands pulling out her shirt and gliding underneath, touching her bare skin and leaving a trail of fire behind.

Elizabeth's desk phone rang but she was too focused on the man in front of her to bother answering it. It kept ringing incessantly. She held onto Jack's neck pulling him closer.

Elizabeth startled awake to the sound of her cell phone ringing beside her on the sun lounge. Without glancing at the caller ID, Elizabeth answered the phone.

"Hello?" she answered breathlessly, still trying to get her bearings, the haze of Jack still at the forefront of her mind.

"Ms Thatcher? It's Lee."

"Oh Lee. Sorry, you – uh – caught me off guard. What's the matter?"

Elizabeth tried to slow her heart rate down, taking big deep breaths as she spoke.

"I'm sorry to bother you. It's just Rosie has been admitted to hospital. She has had complications with the pregnancy and I'm going to have to have a few days off."

"No problem, Lee. Take all the time you need."

"Great. Thanks, I've let Jack know."

Hearing Jack's name, startled her after what she had just dreamt and her hand covered her pounding chest.

"Jack?"

"Yes, since he will have to incorporate those changes we were talking about. Bill has already begun taking a step back so I think it is best that Jack takes over for the moment. He can come to your office on Monday."

"You spoke to Jack today?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. The mention of Jack after her rather heated dream was making her more confused. Especially the mention of him coming to her office.

"Are you still there?" Lee asked.

"Yes" Elizabeth said hurriedly. "Did Jack tell you what happened last night?"

"No. What happened last night?"

Elizabeth winced. She knew she shouldn't have said anything. "I may have drank a little more than I thought."

"Oh no."

"Yes. It seems Jack has seen the worst of me in the last few weeks."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, automatically on the defensive.

"He won't say anything. He has signed a NDS in his contract so you have nothing to worry about."

That wasn't what Elizabeth meant but she knew Lee wouldn't understand.

"Great. Thanks Lee. I hope Rosie is feeling better soon."

"Thank you, Ms Thatcher. I will let you know when I will be back when I know more."

"No rush. Bye Lee."

Elizabeth hung up and sunk back onto the sun lounge. Her mind went back to the dream she was disturbed from a few moments ago. She needed to get Jack out of her head as soon as possible. She quickly texted her sister before she regretted it and then pulled herself up from the sun lounge and went back inside, securing the doors behind her as she went. Her phone pinged as she stepped into the escalator with a response from her sister.

_Julie: I thought you would never ask. I have just the right guy for you. I will get him to give you a call!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**(Sorry for the delay in updates. Home schooling has taken it out of me but that's finally finished for the moment! Yay!)**_

_**25/5/2020**_

**CHAPTER 8**

On Monday, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk having started her day only an hour before when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in" she said as she continued typing the email that she needed to send.

The door opened and she saw a figure step in. "Hi Ms Thatcher. Do you have a moment?"

Elizabeth's fingers froze at the sound of Jack's voice. The daydream she had on Saturday sprung to life in her mind and she could feel the colour rising in her cheeks at the memory.

"Yes, of course" she said, hoping her voice didn't sound shaky and expose her to what his mere presence was doing to her.

Elizabeth pulled away from her computer and did her best to school her features as she looked at Jack. He gave her a small smile as he approached her desk and stood in front of her. Elizabeth knew she was unconsciously holding her breath. This was way too similar to her dream the other day, almost so that she was getting a very real sense of déjà vu.

"I just thought we should discuss the changes to your schedule so we don't have a repeat of Saturday night."

Elizabeth hesitated momentarily. That was not how her dream had gone. "Oh. I thought you might have seen some bad press or something."

"Press? No, I haven't seen anything of that nature. I can look into it if you like, though."

She could see he was confused. The prompt didn't go as planned and she felt her disappointment rise. _But why am I disappointed? Surely, I don't want Jack to kiss me. I barely know the man. For all I know, he could be married._

Elizabeth shook her head, trying to scatter her thoughts. Luckily Jack saw that as an answer to his question and he continued.

"We need to make sure you take a break every day and actually eat" he said, his tone more condescending than Elizabeth liked.

"I do take a break and eat every day. I just didn't last Friday. I have a company to run, Jack" she said, more annoyed now, not only with his tone but also this Jack was nothing like the Jack in her dream.

"I know. I'm sorry" he said, his tone softer now. "I know I have suggested changes that you may feel are … unnecessary at the moment."

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"So, I have found a few options."

"Alright."

Jack sat down and began to offer a number of options instead. She was impressed that he had actually taken the time to consider all of the choices that they had available. When he was done, she gave him a small smile.

"Thanks Jack. Looks like I can work with that."

He smiled back and they began going through the list and making the changes together.

* * *

Jack sat in his chair back in the security office after speaking to his boss. She was always so up and down whenever he spoke to her. Sometimes she seemed almost nervous and acted like he intimidated her and other times her business demeanour took over and she intimidated him.

Elizabeth Thatcher had sat at her desk that morning, practically glowing when he had come in. Her long wavy hair was pulled over one shoulder and even though she wasn't exactly smiling, her eyes sparkled in a way which made him curious. She seemed nervous at the beginning, like he had caught her doing something she shouldn't have been, and the thought crossed his mind that maybe he was the one that was causing the healthy blush in her cheeks. But as their conversation continued, Elizabeth took control again like she normally did, exerting her authority and making him second guess himself.

Ms Thatcher was a puzzle. One that he would personally like to solve. Jack sighed as he stared at the notes in front of him. He was formally documenting all of the team's recommendations and the actions they were putting in place. Jack had reviewed the tracking application that Lee had already had in place and was making sure it was secure. Bill was due to retire at the end of the week and Lee had unofficially made Jack his backup.

In fact, the whole team was now getting an overhaul. The older men on the team were being moved to more sedentary work including watching monitors both at Ms Thatcher's work and residence. Lee had already drafted an advertisement for four new security guards which was waiting for approval.

Jack's biggest concern right now was whether he had thought of everything. He felt like if they had missed anything, it would come down to being his own fault.

* * *

Lee had still not returned by Friday, despite it being Bill's last day of work. They had setup a small farewell party, at his request, in the break room and one of the secretaries had ordered a giant cheesecake to share around.

Elizabeth had made sure she was there, to thank him for his dedication to both the company and her family. Jack watched from the side of the room as she made a public thankyou to Bill and they hugged one another at the end as everyone clapped for Bill. She gifted him a large bottle of scotch, which must have been a good one by the look on Bill's face and his continual thankyou's. Jack watched as Elizabeth took a plate of cake and sat down the end of the table, talking with some of the other employees as she ate. Right now, an outsider would have no idea that she was the company's CEO. She appeared so down to earth.

Someone tried handing Jack a plate with some cheesecake but he politely refused it. Except for the pizza a week ago that was the extent of his bad diet besides his mother's French pastries. He would make an exception for those – which is why he didn't live with her anymore. One a week was plenty. It didn't hurt that cheesecake was not on his list of favourites.

"Too good for some cake, Jack?" Elizabeth's voice teased from beside him.

"Not at all."

"You don't like cheesecake?" she asked.

"Not particularly."

"Who are you?" her tone indicating her mock shock.

Jack laughed. "Is it such a crime to not like cake?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, especially cheesecake! I can't believe Lee hired someone that doesn't eat cheesecake. He mustn't know. That's the only explanation."

"He knows."

"Rosie mustn't like you much then."

Jack smiled. That much was true but not for that reason. Lee's wife Rosemary was a chef who worked in an amazing restaurant. She had been dating Lee back when Jack and he went to college together. Her dislike of him was more based on the fact that he refused to let her set him up with her friends on more than one occasion. She had begun to do it covertly, but Jack had caught on quickly and whenever Rosie had conveniently run into a friend while the three of them were out to dinner or having a drink at a bar, Jack would politely excuse himself and leave immediately. On only one occasion, he had dated one of her friends, but it ended in disaster and he promised himself never again.

"Yes, but not for that reason."

"For what reason then?"

Jack laughed. "You don't want to know."

Elizabeth looked at him curiously but didn't push the issue further. "I need to speak to you about the weekend shift."

"Sure."

"Now that the weather is warming up, I normally run around Central Park on Sundays. Last year Lee used to come with me. Since he hasn't returned yet …"

"That won't be a problem. What time on Sunday?"

"About 10."

"I'll be there."

"I didn't mean you had to do it, it's just …" Elizabeth glanced around, making sure she couldn't be overheard.

"None of the others could keep up?" he asked quietly.

"Precisely. I used to run with a friend but she got married midway through last year and is expecting so she's out of the question and-"

"Ms Thatcher, it's fine. It's my job. I will be there."

"Thank you, Jack."

With a smile, she went and said goodbye to Bill before leaving the break room presumably to return to work.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Elizabeth wandered around her kitchen nervously. She had been up for an hour and had proceeded to make two cups of coffee and drink neither and now she was staring at another piece of cold toast in front of her. Her stomach was churning with unease. Why? Because she was going for a run with Jack.

She huffed in frustration at herself. She had never reacted like this when she went running with Lee. But Lee was married. _Maybe Jack was married too. Maybe I should just pretend that he is and then my nerves might go away._

Elizabeth tapped her foot nervously on the floor and looked at the time on her phone. Fifteen minutes to go.

* * *

Jack stood in the lobby downstairs talking to Albert who had let him in.

"I'm glad you are settling in Jack. Ms Thatcher is such a pleasure to work for. I have been working for her family for such a long time. She has always been a lovely person, even as a young child. She is such a caring young woman."

"And you live here now?"

"Yes, Ms Thatcher moved me over from her parent's estate. I am not a particular fan of living in the city but I could never say no when Ms Lizzy made sure I had my own quarters here."

Jack nodded, thinking about this information. At first Elizabeth had seemed a bit high and mighty all those weeks ago when he had bumped into her at the café. The more he got to know her though, he thought she may be a bit less uptight than he thought.

He heard movement as the doors to the elevator opened and out stepped Elizabeth. She was dressed in black compression tights and a white fitted long sleeve running shirt. She had her phone in her hand which she moved to a hidden pocket.

"Hi Al. Hi Jack" she said as he watched her put an earbud in one ear.

"Good morning Lizzy" Albert replied. "Looks like a nice morning for your run. You keep him on his toes, you hear?" he said with a nod in Jack's direction.

Elizabeth smiled genuinely at him. "I can try" she replied before turning back to Jack. "Ready?"

"If you are."

Elizabeth headed straight for the door and Jack reacted quickly, moving ahead of her and opening the door for her. She stepped through with a brief nod and after fixing her earbuds again, she began to slowly jog. Jack wasn't sure if she wanted him to run beside or behind her but given her headphones he hung back momentarily. She seemed to slow her pace fractionally, almost waiting for him so he took that as a sign to run beside her.

Surprisingly, she started talking to him.

"I used to run with Lee last summer."

"You mentioned that."

"He wasn't particularly fit when we started but he could go the distance at the end of the season."

Jack laughed. "I'm not surprised. With Rosie's cooking, he has gotten a little too comfortable."

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, they do say it also happens when you get married."

"They do" Jack agreed.

"I don't think I will have the same issue with you. I think you could easily outrun me" Elizabeth said looking over at him.

"I'm also not married so maybe that might have something to do with it" he said with a laugh.

A funny expression crossed Elizabeth's face but she didn't say anything. Despite the cold weather, Jack wore a sleeveless muscle tee that showed off his toned arms. He may have done it on purpose but he honestly was always overheated when he exercised. The fact that Elizabeth had seemed to notice his arms by the way she looked at him made it an added bonus.

They continued running at a slow pace until they reached the park where Elizabeth stopped for some stretches before she continued down one of the paths, heading away from the roads and into the quieter part of the park. It wasn't very busy which was normal for the weather and time and the two of them ran in silence, just enjoying the scenery and the quiet.

They spoke occasionally, pointing things out to one another, until after twenty minutes Elizabeth stopped on one of the bridges over a pond. She leant against the rail taking in a few deep breaths and Jack mirrored her.

"You're running a fast pace, Ms T."

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow at him. "Ms T?"

"It's shorter" he said as he tried to catch his breath. "I haven't run long distance in a while. I mainly focus on sprints."

Elizabeth blushed. "Well, I may have been running a bit hard."

"Was this some kind of test?" he asked with a smirk.

"Maybe" she said grinning back at him.

"Did I pass?"

"So far, but you need to make it all the way back."

Jack grinned at her. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

Elizabeth led the way back the way they had come, winding around the paths.

This man was put here to challenge her, she thought. Everything about him made her pay attention. As soon as she saw him in the lobby, she had almost fainted when she saw his bulging biceps and bare broad shoulders exposed from his muscle shirt.

Elizabeth had done her best to ignore him in front of Albert but as she began running, and he mentioned his unmarried status, her mind moved to thoughts of her hands running over all those muscles he had on display. Frustrated with herself she knew she was taking it out on the pavement by speeding up.

Even when they stopped on the bridge and talked, she felt like there was a continual flirty edge to everything that was said, making her pulse quicken and if they weren't already, her palms would have become sweaty.

As she neared the last leg of her run, Elizabeth picked up the pace but Jack met her every stride. She slowed on the last block, walking to slow her heart rate.

When they finally made it back out the front of her property, they happened to see a man walking down the street with his dog in a pram that led the two of them to laugh in hysterics. Neither knew why it was precisely so funny, but once they started neither could stop.

Elizabeth's giggle set Jack off and Jack's booming laughter was contagious to Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Jack practically stumbled into the foyer, still laughing, clutching at their stomachs and drawing in deep breaths. Even when their laughter subsided, Elizabeth kept giggling quietly while Jack beamed at her, his dimples showing. In that moment, Elizabeth saw just Jack, not her bodyguard and employee.

Albert neared at the sound of the commotion and when Jack caught Albert's curious eye, he straightened himself up.

"Right, Ms Thatcher. Thank you for the entertaining run. I'm sure Lee will be back this week so can resume his regular appointment with you. See you tomorrow" he said hurriedly as he left.

Elizabeth watched him go in surprise, his sudden change in demeanour disappoining and the smile that had been plastered across her face slowly dissipated.

"Did you have fun on your run, Lizzy?" Albert asked from behind her.

"I did."

"I haven't seen you laugh like that in a while."

Elizabeth smiled. "You might be right." She began heading toward the elevator.

"I like that one."

"Who? Jack?"

"Yeah. He seems very genuine."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Maybe, but you really never know."

Once inside her home, she spent some time stretching on the floor. She felt amazing after her run but also talking to someone different was nice. Maybe having a friend like Jack would be good for her.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Don't miss Ch 8 posted today too!**_

25/5/2020

**CHAPTER 9**

At work the next week, Elizabeth had her customary meeting with Lee that she previously had with Bill on a Monday morning for the past few years. As soon as Lee entered, Elizabeth could tell that his time off had been more than stressful. She stood up from her chair and came around her desk.

"Lee, is everything okay?"

"No, actually. I wanted to speak to you in person but Rosie lost the baby. She got out of hospital mid last week so I spent the time at home with her."

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you."

"I honestly don't know what to say. I don't think anything could possibly be adequate" she said, reaching out her hand to hold his arm.

"I know. We never expected it to happen after we passed the 12 week mark. We thought it would all be okay but Rosie developed a really uncommon infection."

"She must be devastated."

"She is."

"If you need any more time off, you take it."

"That's okay. I don't have any more paid leave left and with the mortgage on the restaurant and our home –"

Elizabeth interrupted him. "Lee. Stop. Take the leave. I can add extra leave onto your new package as head of security. Whatever you need, tell me and I will put in a call to HR."

"I don't want to take advantage of the situation …"

Elizabeth shook her head at him. "Lee, don't worry about it. Jack has been filling in while you've been away and I am so grateful that you hired him. You were 100% right that we needed new blood. You made a good choice so now you can be rewarded for it."

Lee nodded his head, smiling. "So long as he doesn't take my spot!" he said jokingly.

"Well, if you want your spot back on Sunday's running Central Park …"

"No! Jack can have that one! There is no way I could keep up to you right now" he said, rubbing his slightly larger belly that had built up over the winter.

Elizabeth laughed. "I don't know whether Jack will be happy or sad with your decision."

"I think he will love it" Lee said with a wink.

"Why don't you go and hand over to Jack and take the rest of the day. Speak to Rosie and see when you would like to come back."

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth" he said, reaching out to give her a hug. "Sorry, I didn't mean to … I mean, thankyou Ms Thatcher for understanding."

"Lee, we've known each other forever. I've told you before you can call me Elizabeth."

"Yes, but then I would slip in front of the other men and I don't want them to be disrespectful."

Elizabeth waved her hand at him. "You know I don't care about any of that."

"No, but a line needs to be drawn somewhere."

"If you insist."

"I do. Alright, I will let you get back to work. Thanks again."

"No worries, Lee. And perhaps you can pass my condolences onto Rosie."

Lee nodded his head and disappeared out the door. Elizabeth fell into her seat and stared at her computer, her mind blank for a moment. She had known Rosie for a long time. Although not close friends, she was a good friend of Viola's. With that thought in mind, she called one of her secretaries.

"Good morning, Ms Thatcher. This is Abigail."

"Hello" Elizabeth said, not knowing who the voice belonged to. "Do you have a moment to come to my office?"

"Certainly. I'll be right there."

Within a few minutes, there was a quick knock at the door before an older woman appeared, her brown hair pinned in a bun in a neat navy blue suit.

"You must be Abigail."

"Yes, Ms Thatcher."

"When did you start?"

"Only today. I'm a temp, filling in for Anna."

Elizabeth nodded in realisation. Anna was one of her junior secretaries. "I didn't realise she was off today. Well, I have a job for you. Would you be able to order a big bunch of flowers and have them delivered to one of our employee's addresses?" Elizabeth asked as she wrote on a piece of paper and handed it over. "This is the employee's name and if you could have this written on a card …"

Abigail looked at the note, her eyes softening as she read the note. "Of course. Any flower preference?"

"Something bright and colourful, I think. Don't worry about the cost. The number of the account to use is listed at the bottom."

Abigail nodded in understanding. "I'll do it straight away. Can I do anything else?"

"No, thank you Abigail."

* * *

That afternoon, Elizabeth had an appointment with her personal stylist, Faith. Another gala was coming up in a month's time and Elizabeth normally booked an appointment to go over her clothing selections for events over the coming weeks.

"Any hot dates on the agenda?" Faith asked as she hovered over her tablet, with her stylist ready to jot down notes.

"No. Don't worry about any of that."

"Oh, that doesn't sound so good."

Elizabeth waved her hand. "I'm having a break from men for a while."

"That's a shame. But I did meet one of your new bodyguards in the hall on the way in" Faith said, wiggling her eyebrows. "What's your policy on interoffice relations?"

"Uh, well if you want to date Jack, you're not an employee so go for it."

Faith giggled. "Not for me, silly. For you."

Elizabeth could feel her cheeks going red. "Um, no. That wouldn't work. He's there to protect me and keep me safe, not date me."

"Yeah, but maybe he can do both."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "He probably has a girlfriend or something anyway. A man that looks that good is not single."

"Yes, but you're single and you are just as good. I really think you two would suit each other."

"You don't even know him!"

"I meant _look _good together, not _be_ good together. That would be up to you" she said in her sing song voice as she pulled a zipper down on one of the garment bags, revealing a gorgeous sparkly number that started off white and descended through blue tones into a gorgeous cobalt blue train.

Elizabeth froze, staring at it. "Wow. That colour is beautiful."

"I know right. Wait until you try it on!"

Elizabeth took the dress from her hands, disappearing into her bathroom for a few minutes before returning with the dress fitting her like a glove.

"Faith, you are amazing. I love it! Where did you get this?"

"My friend Clara is an up and coming designer. I didn't think you would mind giving her a bit of publicity. Especially when she makes something this beautiful."

Faith kneeled at her feet and checked the length of the dress, some pins on a cushion at her wrist.

"Ok put one foot forward, so I can check this" she said guiding Elizabeth's leg into place so the slit in the dress fell away, leaving Elizabeth's leg exposed to the top of her thigh.

"Wow. That is one high slit."

"Mmm hmm" Faith said with a mouthful of pins as she got to work. She seemed to be taking her time when there was a knock at Elizabeth's office door.

"Yes?" Elizabeth called out over her shoulder.

Jack emerged into the room. "Oh sorry, Ms Thatcher. Here's what you requested, Ms … Faith" he said coming closer and putting something down behind her. Elizabeth glanced back to see Jack putting a paper bag down on the table behind her, his eyes fixed lower down – likely on Faith.

"Thank you so much Jack. I owe you one" Faith replied.

"No problems." Seconds later Elizabeth heard the door close softly behind him.

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked, looking down at Faith.

"Oh nothing."

Elizabeth looked at her puzzled. Faith shook her head before continuing what she was doing with the pins.

"I may have asked Jack to drop something off in order for him to see you in this dress" she said quickly.

"What?!"

Faith just shrugged in response.

Elizabeth laughed to herself. "Sorry you didn't get the response you were hoping for then."

Faith was smiling, shaking her head knowingly.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.

"You are so naïve, my friend."

"Why?"

"I got the exact reaction I was looking for."

"Which was?" Elizabeth asked, feeling very confused right now.

"His eyes were glued to you from the second he walked in the room."

"No, they weren't. He was watching you."

Faith laughed again. "No, they were glued to you, especially your legs. Even when he left the room, he had another look."

Elizabeth fell silent. _Surely not._ Jack wouldn't pay her any attention like that. And even if he did, he was only looking, nothing more.

* * *

Jack left Elizabeth's office and hurried back to his desk, collapsing into his chair and doing his best to not think about what he had just seen. Elizabeth in a stunning white and blue dress was not what he had been expecting. It dipped low in the back, revealing her perfect skin, and that slit rose up so high to show her long, toned legs. He put his head in his hands, covering his eyes, trying to think of anything to remove that image. Nothing was working. All he could think about was etting closer to the woman in that dress.

She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Suddenly a hand on his shoulder pulled him away from his thoughts and he flinched.

"You okay, man? You seem a bit jumpy." Ned was behind him, his face etched with concern.

"Yeah. I'm good."

Ned nodded and moved over to his seat behind the monitors. Jack shook himself off and got back to work.

* * *

The next two weeks passed by. Elizabeth worked long days and her social life was restricted to spending time with Julie on a few nights while she was back in the country.

Elizabeth continued to go for runs with Jack on Sunday mornings which she was enjoying more than she should, although she would never tell anyone that.

Lee was back at work so Jack had stepped back into his usual role. They had recently hired four new guards and were in the process of completing their training. All between the age of 25 and 35, they ranged in backgrounds. The three males were Pete, Jamie and Oliver. A female guard, Lani, was also hired. Jack had helped with the interviews and both him and Lee were both impressed by the calibre of the applicants. Pete and Jamie were ex-military not unlike Jack, while Oliver and Lani were cross overs from the police force. They believed the different skill sets and backgrounds would further enhance their team and within the first week of the team sitting down together, Lee and Jack believed that they had picked four great people. They meshed well and Elizabeth seemed to be happy, especially having a female on the team.

On the following Sunday, as Elizabeth and Jack took a break on the bridge at the halfway point, Jack turned to her.

"Are you happy with the new team?"

"Yes. Everyone seems to fit nicely."

"I know you had reservations about a younger group but –"

"No, Jack. I think you and Lee were right."

Jack turned back to look at the view ahead of him. "If you would like to change it up, I can put together a roster for these runs."

Elizabeth looked at him, her eyes studying him. "If you want a break on Sundays, that's fine."

"That isn't what I was saying. I've come to look forward to Sunday mornings" he said with a gentle smile.

"Well, maybe we should keep things the same then" she said smiling back.

"Okay then."

On the run back, the conversation flowed between them a lot more easily than it had ever done.

"What is it like being the big sister to a famous baseball player?"

"Oh, I don't really notice. I've always been in the spotlight because of my Dad."

"Is it bad that I had no idea who you were when I took this job?"

"I did get that impression when you hit me in the face with that door" she said, trying to keep her voice serious.

"I did not hit you with the door!"

"Yes, you did!" she said, laughing.

"No, I didn't! Well, I guess I did - but it wasn't on purpose!" Jack exclaimed.

"So why were you so mean about it then?"

"I wasn't mean. You were rude!"

"I wasn't rude! I was shocked maybe" Elizabeth admitted.

The two of them laughed as they ran, bickering backwards and forwards about their first meeting. When they reached the last block, Elizabeth began speeding up as she normally did but Jack caught on and the two of them raced the last stretch all the way to her building, where Albert buzzed them in when he saw them approaching. They spilled into the lobby laughing.

"What was that? You tried to trick me again!" Jack cried.

"I did not. That's what I always do."

"Sure. Well, I won this time."

"You did not! I did! But it wasn't a race anyway."

"Yeah, you're only saying that because you know you lost."

"I didn't lose!"

"Sure, whatever Thatcher."

"I beat you fair and square, Thornton."

"There was nothing fair about that race when you started before me. Which is why I won!"

The two of them kept laughing until they realised Albert was standing nearby watching their banter.

"I believe it was a draw" Albert said.

"You wouldn't happen to be taking Miss Lizzy's side, now would you Al?" Jack asked him.

"Of course not" Albert said with a grin.

Jack tried to wipe the smile off his face as he turned back to Elizabeth. "It was a pleasure, as always Ms T. Enjoy the rest of your weekend" he said as he went to leave.

"Bye Jack."

He gave her a nod and waved at Albert for going back out the door onto the street. Elizabeth watched after him for a moment before heading toward the elevator. She expected Albert to say something but when she turned back to give him a wave, he just smiled at her knowingly.


	10. Chapter 10

_**(Here we go again ... finally. A big thankyou to my loyal readers and those who keep reminding me to hurry up and post something! I honestly struggle sometimes to get the story rolling but I had some ideas at 3 am in the morning so here we go!)**_

**CHAPTER 10**

Over the next few weeks there were a lot more changes around Thatcher Commercial Development. After the disastrous evening at the gala, the security team ensured that the remaining changes were made slowly. Despite the fact that Elizabeth was one for a strict routine, she had done her best to adapt to the recommendations made by Lee and Jack.

Elizabeth had found herself to rely more heavily on Jack's opinion, which seemed to stem from their weekly runs, that had now become twice a week. Every Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning, they took off together on various routes around the city. Elizabeth was careful not to admit it to anyone but those runs had quickly become her favourite part of the week and was something she always looked forward to. They always ran but more conversation began to filter in and Elizabeth had come to realise that she valued Jack's friendship more and more.

Just that week, Elizabeth had met with her head architect to discuss one of the company's larger contracts, a luxury hotel group that had purchased a property on Long Island. They had submitted plans and had obtained the tender but now the details were being modified.

"The Rossgrove Group have decided that they want to have a meeting at another one of their properties on Thursday night. They have requested myself, the head engineer and project manager to be among the visitors, as well as your own attendance" Omar said.

"Me?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"Yes, Ms Thatcher."

"Where would they get the idea that I normally attend these meetings?"

"Apparently one of the majority shareholders knows you personally."

"So why don't they contact me directly? It is a bit odd going through you, isn't it?"

"I must admit that I did think that at the time" Omar admitted.

Elizabeth sighed. "Fine. Email me the details and I will see what I can do. That is very short notice."

"Of course, Ms Thatcher."

After her meeting, she saw the email come through and looked it over feeling even more frustrated. Elizabeth had a tendency to plan out her entire week. She liked to know exactly what she was doing and did not like to deviate but things seemed to keep getting more and more out of control for her at the moment.

The Rossgrove Group had proposed Thursday night dinner and a night's accommodation at their most recently completed build. Elizabeth guessed it was so that they could press the existing concepts into their design for the new luxury hotel. From what Elizabeth understood, the company that won the tender for the last project did an amazing job but the whole project ran well over budget. Hopefully this meeting wasn't being held in an attempt to renegotiate costs but she couldn't think why else she would be required.

Elizabeth called Lee's line to tell him about the change of plans. When he didn't answer, it redirected.

"Hello. Jack speaking."

"Jack. It's Elizabeth."

"Yes, Ms T?"

Elizabeth smiled at his reply. "Is Lee around? I need to discuss some changes for tomorrow night."

"I am rostered on with Lani. Should I come and speak to you directly?"

"Yes, that would be best."

"Okay. Just a minute."

The line went dead and in less than a minute Jack was knocking at her office door before walking in.

"I have just been informed of an overnight stay at this hotel tomorrow night" Elizabeth said with a frustrated sigh, handing him a copy of the information. "They are one of our biggest contracts at the moment, so I need to go. Can you call ahead and confirm security details?"

"Certainly. I might need to swap Lani out and bring one of the more qualified guards."

"Yes. Do what ever you have to do" Elizabeth said waving her hand.

Jack hesitated. "You don't sound too happy about going, Ms T?"

"No, I'm not. I've been forced into it, it would seem."

Jack nodded his head thoughtfully. "I know you don't like changing your routine. We were supposed to run on Thursday."

Elizabeth didn't want to admit that was part of her frustration. Missing her run with Jack had been at the forefront of her mind.

"My routine ensures I manage to get everything in and nothing is missed. I don't like events showing up spontaneously on my calendar. Overnight ones at that."

"What will you miss out on?" Jack asked, a glimmer in his eyes.

Elizabeth bit her lip as she thought about how to reply. "It's … it's …"

Jack widened his eyes, encouraging her to continue.

Elizabeth blushed as the words tumbled from her mouth. "Well besides my run, it's the night that I watch some of the Hallmark Channel recordings for the week" she said quickly.

"The what?"

"You know like any Hallmark movies I missed and When Calls The Heart. I catch up on Thursdays. It's my guilty pleasure, I guess."

Jack looked at her like she had two heads before he burst out laughing. "You don't want to go to dinner because you will miss your TV shows … that you recorded."

"It's not just that! I miss my run too. Look, it's the only night I have free. Thursday's is the one day in the week that I never go out, okay? And now I've been told I have to go and stay at a hotel that I didn't pick for some reason that I am not aware of and I really just don't want to go, okay?!"

As soon as the words spilled out of her mouth, Elizabeth clasped her palm over her mouth.

"What are you doing now?" Jack asked, still laughing at her.

"I shouldn't have told you that. That was very unprofessional of me."

Jack laughed again. "Don't worry, Ms T. Your secret is safe with me."

Elizabeth nodded her head slowly at him, in thanks.

"But what you should really do is tell them no."

"I can't do that."

"Yes, you can."

"I would like to but-"

"It sounds like this whole thing was done the wrong way to me. You said you had no choice and are being summoned away from your workplace to an unknown location. From a security perspective this is a nightmare already so I could perhaps advise that you don't go – you know from a professional viewpoint." Jack spoke sincerely, a glimmer in his eyes.

Elizabeth sat there thinking over what Jack said. He was right. And she was the boss. _How dare they tell her where she had to go, on what day and what time and expect her to be at their beg and call?!_

"You're right!" Elizabeth said, standing up.

"Of course, I am" Jack said in agreement.

"They can't expect me to come running when they want."

"No, they can't."

"And to expect me to miss Hallmark night. How dare they?!" she said, trying her best to keep a straight face.

"I know. It is criminal that they should suggest such a thing."

Elizabeth burst out laughing now, as did Jack. Their laughter faded and Elizabeth's eyes met his.

"Thank you, Jack."

"No worries, Ms T" he said moving back toward the door. He turned around just before he opened it. "And your Thursday night guilty pleasure is safe with me." With that he turned the knob, slipped through the door and shut it behind him – not before he wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a silly smirk though.

* * *

Jack had got back to his desk and smiled, remembering Elizabeth's frustrated expression. She was so different to everything he had first assumed about her. He really did enjoy their weekly, and now bi-weekly, running commitment. They always found time to chat about things and despite thinking they would have nothing in common at first due to their very different up-bringing, he had found that something about her drew him in. She was very down-to-earth and was so kind-hearted. He saw it in the way she interacted with everyone – her family, her employees and even absolute strangers.

They had become friends now and Jack smiled at the fact that she had listened to him and taken his advice so easily. The biggest problem for Jack at the moment was making sure he remained professional around her. He knew he had slipped a couple of times when they had run together.

The other problem was that Elizabeth hadn't been on a date with anyone for a month now. Jack knew that when the time came and she ended up holding some guy's hand, he didn't know exactly how he was going to react.

* * *

Elizabeth walked into the boardroom early on Thursday morning for the monthly management meeting to find Abigail setting up at the desk in the corner of the room.

"Hello. Abigail wasn't it?"

"Yes, Ms Thatcher. That's right." The woman beamed proudly.

"Are you filling in again today?"

"Yes, for Robyn this time."

"Thankyou. We don't normally get temps to take notes during our management meeting …" Elizabeth was about to say but she hoped she could trust her when Abigail dived in.

"I know. It's just Sue was caught up with something so they asked me to start." Elizabeth watched as the woman straightened her shoulders and looked directly at Elizabeth. "I have signed an NDS so I assure you, I won't do any more than write notes until she arrives and-"

Elizabeth smiled but held up her hand hoping to gently stop her. "I believe you. What I was going to say is you have obviously proven yourself if Sue has brought you back again. She's a tough woman to crack."

Abigail grinned back. "Yes, she is. But my work is very thorough and I have a lot of experience."

"I'm sure you do. Well, it is nice to have you on board, Abigail."

"Thank you."

People began drifting in and taking their regular seats. Thomas from marketing arrived, Jerry from finance, Phyllis from development, Omar from architecture, Pieta from engineering, Lee from security, Diana from legal and a few of their deputy managers. Once everyone had arrived, Elizabeth began the meeting with the usual summary of items before each department manager raised their own issues.

When it came to Phyllis' turn, she brought up some new sites that were available for development on the west coast. They already had three offices on the east coast but were considering expanding to the west. As Phyllis went over the options, Elizabeth saw Abigail was sitting there, pen poised seemingly shaking her head at Phyllis' suggestion. Phyllis ended her sentence and the room went quiet, waiting for Elizabeth to respond. Only then did Abigail see her looking in her own direction. Her head dipped back down and her pen continued to run across the page in front of her.

"If no one has anything else to add then I suggest you leave it with me, Phyllis. We will have a chat later today."

Phyllis nodded in agreement as the meeting stretched on. When it finally wrapped up, Elizabeth thanked everyone as an assistant brought in coffee and morning tea for all the managers and put them on the table at the side of the room. Everyone was quickly on their feet, most people heading straight for the plate of pastries that was just set down.

Elizabeth gathered her things and instead of following her employees she moved to the other side of the room where Abigail was packing up.

"Did you have anything to add to that meeting, Abigail? On behalf of Sue?"

"No, Ms Thatcher."

"What about on your own behalf?"

Abigail went to say something but pulled back. "No, ma'am."

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side. "Despite what people say about me, I am a reasonable boss. At least, I think I am."

She could see Abigail hesitating.

"I won't bite. What did you pick up from that meeting that I missed?"

"The places that were suggested for another office site, I wouldn't advise."

"Why?"

"I would have to look in closer detail but ultimately the first location is notorious for competition. The second is similar. If I were you, I would aim for something on the other side of the harbour. They are building a bypass around the city so although it seems busy and noisy right now, in another two to three years once the bypass is complete and your building is finished, it will be prime real estate. There is a lot selling there at the moment due to the roadworks and inaccessibility but that might work in your favour if you need to develop plans and everything else."

"You know a lot about that area than?"

"I have lived there most of my life. I recently moved here to be closer to my sister in law – after my husband and son passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Abigail nodded slowly. "It's been almost two years now."

Elizabeth gave her a gentle smile. "I understand that. It's been five years since I lost my parents. Time does make it easier in some ways, but not in others."

The pair were silent for a moment before Elizabeth continued. "I will take what you said under advisement. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Elizabeth was busy booking in appointments in the afternoon when there was a call from reception.

"Ms Thatcher, there is a gentleman here to see you."

Elizabeth looked back at her calendar that was open on her desktop, confirming that her afternoon was indeed free.

"He doesn't have an appointment. What is his name?"

"He said his name was … I'm quoting here … Boss Thatcher."

Elizabeth shook her head as a small smile crept onto her face, knowing who it was instantly.

"So if Boss Thatcher is out there who exactly does he want to speak to?"

"Bethie."

"Of course he does. Send Tim in, thank you."

A minute later her office door opened, without a knock, to reveal her younger brother.

"What are you doing here of all places, Boss?" she asked him, as she sat back in her chair.

Tim grinned at her. "Just checking in with my little sister."

Elizabeth scoffed. "That's Jules remember?"

Tim stood to the side of her desk towering over her. "Nope. It's you" he said indicating their difference in height.

"I'm sitting down, dopey."

"Wouldn't matter. You're still tiny."

"Anyway, what do I owe for the pleasure of your company?"

Tim took a seat leaning against her desk, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"I dropped in to see how things were going with that guy."

"What guy? And since when do you check up on me like this?"

"What guy? Don't play innocent with me. You know who I'm talking about. I've come here because you've never had a thing for someone at work before. I was just making sure you weren't getting up to mischief in your office here" he said in a loud, arrogant voice.

"Keep your voice down!" Elizabeth said as she glanced at the door, making sure it was shut. "There's nothing going on with anyone, let alone someone I work with and as to your assumption …" Elizabeth scrunched up her nose in disgust. "It's my office. What on earth would I be doing in here?"

"The question is what wouldn't you do in here" Tim said wiggling his eyebrows. "This place has so much potential."

"You are so gross. I'm not like that."

"Good answer. I taught you well."

"No, Dad taught me well. So seriously, why are you here?"

"Honestly. Because you need to stop working so hard. You are wasting the best years of your life. I'm worried about you. Why not just hire a CEO and retire now?"

"Because that is not me and you know it. This is Dad's legacy –"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know" Tim replied shaking his head.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"You are too perfect Bethie, you know that. No wonder guys find you so intimidating."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You're too smart for your own good. And clearly too oblivious too."

Elizabeth looked at him even more puzzled.

"Look –" Tim was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Elizabeth called out.

"Ms T, I just had a message from Lee" Jack began before seeing Tim to the side of her desk. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise you had company."

"It's fine. Jack, do you remember my brother Tim?"

"Yes, of course. Mr Thatcher" Jack said with a nod of his head.

"No. None of that, Jack. Tim is fine" he said as he stepped forward with an outstretched hand. "You're Bethie's bodyguard, right?" Tim said as he firmly shook Jack's hand.

"Yes. One of them."

"Good to know you're looking out for her. Someone has to keep an eye on her. These boyfriends of hers are never good enough for her. She needs a good guy watching over her, Jack. I can count on you, right?"

"Tim!" Elizabeth said in embarrassment as Jack gave him a puzzled look.

"Uh, sure. It is my job to keep your sister safe and I will do it to the best of my ability."

"That's all anyone can ask. Keep those low life boyfriends away from her while you're at it."

Elizabeth cringed, dropping her head into her hand.

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Jack asked. Elizabeth snapped her eyes back to Jack, not expecting him to have replied. His eyes locked onto hers. "As if Ms T would listen to me."

"Of course she would. You've been working here for a while now. You two are friends, right?"

Their conversation bounced backwards and forwards, Elizabeth's presence forgotten.

"I'm right here" Elizabeth butted into the conversation, standing up from her desk, but they both ignored her.

"You need to find a way to get through to her. Convince her these men she dates aren't the right fit" Tim continued.

"And how do I know what the right fit is?"

"Have you seen these guys? They're all self absorbed. She needs a guy that considers her first and will do anything for her. A guy who will make her laugh and stop her from being so serious. Someone who will help her see that there is more to life than working 80 hours a week. A guy who wants her for who she is and not what her connections can get for them."

"Tim!" she said angrily, feeling more exposed to Jack than she would prefer. Her hands were fisted by her sides and she was certain her face was bright red as she glared at her brother.

Both men turned to stare at her, as if broken from a trance, suddenly realising she was there.

"Right, well I will look into that" Jack said, before he hurriedly retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

Elizabeth turned her attention to her brother, her glare obviously unsettling him.

"What?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"What?! Are you kidding me? You just made a fool out of me!"

"No, I didn't."

"You did! Have you forgotten that Jack works for me?"

"No, but –"

She cut him off. "But nothing. He's my employee. There is nothing going on with Jack and I and there never will be, okay?"

"Bethie-"

"Don't Bethie me. Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Drop this conversation now and don't mention it again."

* * *

Unfortunately, Jack was standing on the other side of the door and heard everything. He bowed his head and slowly walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Sorry for the slow updates :) This isn't a real long one but thought I should get something up!**_

**Chapter 11**

Unfortunately, Jack was standing on the other side of the door and heard everything. He bowed his head and slowly walked away.

_**Continued …**_

That night on their run, Elizabeth noticed that Jack was a lot quieter than normal. She put it down to his embarrassment about the earlier conversation with her brother, but she wasn't sure. She had tried to make light conversation with him a few times but he had given her only short answers. It was beginning to annoy her and she figured it was best to clear the air, so to speak.

Elizabeth slowed down her pace as she tried to find out what was wrong.

"What's up, Jack?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Your quieter than usual."

"No. Nothing's wrong."

"Did what my brother say bother you?" she prodded further.

"No. I've just been thinking."

"About?"

Jack hesitated. "It's really none of my business."

"Come on now" Elizabeth smiled at him. "Out with it."

"Tim was right about a few things. You do need more of a life. I have seen how hard you work."

Normally Elizabeth would get angry about someone telling her how to live her life but she knew Jack was being genuine.

"And how could I possibly change that?"

Jack slowed down to a walk and Elizabeth copied him. He neared a bench on the side of the path and put his hand against it, beginning his stretches as he spoke. Elizabeth did the same, putting her hand out to hold her ankle as she did a quad stretch.

"Why don't you think of hiring a PA? Someone who works closely beside you, who you can delegate some more work to. That way, when you eventually do decide to take a step back when you get married or whatever you have someone who knows the business as well as you do."

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment in silence. "I hadn't thought about it in that way" she said looking down at her feet instead of Jack's eyes. "My father managed everything himself."

"Yes, but he had probably done it for so long, working the business up from scratch. Was he around much when you were growing up?"

"Truthfully, no. We were close but he did work a lot. He missed a lot of things but my Mom was always there."

Jack nodded slowly. "What if you were to get married and have kids? I mean, you don't have to want kids, but if you did would you want a nanny to look after them all the time so you could work?"

"That is what a house husband is for" she said teasingly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't tell me but how about from another approach. Right now if you were sick for a whole week what would happen?"

"Ah …"

"Exactly. Or when you go on holidays?"

"I don't."

Jack shook his head. "You need a backup plan, a contingency if you will. Sure, each of the managers could manage the departments but you need someone who knows what is going on and can pick up the pieces if needed."

Elizabeth's mind wandered. Jack was right. How had she not seen that?

"What made you think of that?" she said slowly.

His eyes darted to hers. "When you told me the other day about how you need a routine to make sure everything gets done, I was thinking what would happen if more than one evening of your week got thrown. You would be a mess, but your company would suffer too, would it not?"

"Yes. You're right. I experienced this all first hand when my Dad passed but he had a team around him that could help. They have all retired over the last few years and now I'm left on my own. I mean the business isn't struggling but I don't really know where to begin" she said as she hung her head. It's not that she hadn't thought of it exactly, it's just she had never had time to act upon it.

"Why would you? You've been so busy figuring out how to run a huge company, you haven't had the time to consider another perspective."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"Thank you, Jack."

Jack grinned at her. "You should book yourself a holiday to."

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I just said I don't go –"

"I know what you said. You and I both know the reality that life is too short. You have the money, make the time. Go on a holiday. Relax."

"Who would I even go with?" she mumbled under her breath, not expecting him to answer. She switched legs as she did, moving to another stretch at the same time that Jack changed his position.

"Make it in six months time and hopefully by then you will think of someone to take with you" he said with a smile.

That smile got to her though. In the past, they had been on the edge of flirty but now he seemed to be holding back. She could only think it was what Tim had said to him that day.

"How is it that you keep making all these suggestions for my life, but I know nothing about you?" Elizabeth said more in frustration than anything, pulling away from the bench and moving back onto the path.

"What would you like to know?" Jack walked beside her again, close enough that their arms were almost touching.

"I don't know. You know all about my family, my work and even my downtime. All I know is that you're not married, are ex-military and are friends with Lee and Rosie. That's about it." She paused. "Oh! And you don't like cheesecake - which is practically a reason for me to let you go right now!" she teased.

Jack smirked at her. "Okay. I see how you might see that as uneven, but it is my job to know all these things about you, remember?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but Jack only laughed at her.

"Alright, alright. What would you like to know?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

Jack felt his chest seize up. He still wasn't used to talking about his little brother. "Um, no. Not anymore. My younger brother and his wife passed almost six months ago now."

"Oh, Jack. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's okay. I haven't really spoken much about it since it happened."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say but felt like she should keep the conversation going. After all, she had sufficient experience to know how awkward people became when she answered the question in a similar way in regards to her own parents.

"Are you managing okay?"

"I guess so. It's been difficult because I hadn't been home from my last tour for long when it happened. I felt like I lost so much time with him because I have been deployed over the last few years. I missed out on knowing his wife too."

"I can understand that. You can't regret it though, Jack. Nothing will change the past, unfortunately. I felt the same way with my parents. My father worked so hard his whole life with the intention of retiring soon and travelling the world with my mom."

Jack nodded his head as they continued walking back towards Elizabeth's home.

"It's a tricky balance, I guess. But maybe you can see why I'm telling you not to work so hard now, too" he said with a grin as he nudged her elbow with his own.

Elizabeth smiled. "You're right. As usual" she added with a roll of her eyes.

Jack laughed before continuing. "My brother has a three year old daughter, Hannah. I try and see her every weekend. She lives with my parents. That's where I usually disappear to on a Saturday."

"Oh no. That must be horrible for her. Is she coping?"

"She is managing surprisingly well now. The first few months were hard and she still occasionally asks for her Mama and Daddy but she seems to understand that they have gone somewhere and aren't coming back. She's a beautiful little girl, though" Jack said smiling at the thought. "She has the curliest blonde hair I have ever seen and these beautiful big blue eyes."

"Did she look like her Mom?" Elizabeth asked, smiling too.

"No, actually. My brother Tom had the blonde hair and blue eyes. Takes after my Dad whereas I take more after my Mom."

Elizabeth smiled. "She sounds beautiful. You will have to show me a photo sometime."

Jack glanced over at her, giving her a slight nod. The silence spanned between them for a moment. "We had better start running again if we're going to get you back before it's dark."

Elizabeth began to jog again and they picked up their pace for the few miles back.

"And so you don't miss your precious Hallmark night" Jack added quietly.

"Hey!" Elizabeth said giving him a pretend punch to the shoulder. Her knuckles just deflected off his muscular bicep but she was already blushing from his comment to be embarrassed further. "You promised you would keep that secret!"

"I did. But I never promised I wouldn't tease you about it" he said laughing.

* * *

Elizabeth ended up taking Jack's advice more seriously and began to consider the idea of hiring a personal assistant to take on more of her duties. She had managed to write a list of all the jobs that she could delegate and agreed that it was definitely a full time job. She sat at her desk early the next week, concentrating on the list when there was a knock at her office door.

"Come in" she sung out.

The door opened and Abigail appeared.

"Ms Thatcher?"

"Abigail. You're back again?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm filling in for Sue this week, apparently."

"You really must have made your mark to be called in for Sue."

Abigail smiled. "She requested me personally."

Elizabeth nodded before Abigail continued.

"I had a note to come and see you about a job advertisement that you were considering."

"Oh , well, I had wanted to talk to Sue directly just to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything."

"Alright I will make a note on the list she gave me then to come and see you next week."

Elizabeth sighed. "I really wanted to get this moving through HR before the end of the week."

Abigail came and sat down. "It sounds like you need a hand. Why don't you run it by me?"

Elizabeth hesitated momentarily but she really liked Abigail. Through the few occasions they had interacted there was something about her that made Elizabeth comfortable.

"Alright. I'm going to hire a personal assistant to report directly to me and take over some of the more time consuming duties of mine. I wanted to run the list of duties by Sue to make sure I hadn't missed anything."

Abigail nodded for her to continue so Elizabeth did, listing all of the duties, skills and attributes that the PA would require. Abigail added her own suggestions which Elizabeth was pleased to be able to add to her notes. The conversation went backward and forward for some time before Elizabeth was happy. She stared down at the notes in front of her.

"Thankyou Abigail. You have been a tremendous help" she said.

Abigail stood to leave but as she reached the office door, she hesitated turning back around.

"Ms Thatcher, I hope I'm not speaking out of turn but I would be interested in applying for the position we just discussed."

Elizabeth looked up from her notes in surprise. "Oh, really?"

Abigail nodded. "I am qualified in all the ways that you mentioned. Could you perhaps let me know when the advertisement is released?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Abigail turned and left, leaving Elizabeth pondering in silence. A sudden knock and JAck's voice through her door startled Elizabeth from her thoughts.

"Delivery" Jack sung out as he entered her office with a small white bakery box in his hands.

"What …"

"I got you something." Jack placed the box on her desk.

Elizabeth opened the lid to the box to see a generous piece of strawberry cheesecake. She glanced back at Jack who was watching her reaction.

"What's that for?"

"I saw it and thought of you."

Elizabeth grabbed the fork and quickly took a bite, the creamy goodness practically melting onto her tongue.

"Oooh Jack" she practically moaned. "Sooo good. You are the best."

Jack's eyes seemed to bore into hers as they stared at one another before Jack broke the spell they seemed to be under.

"I'm glad" he almost whispered before leaving her office. When he opened her office door, they were both surprised when Faith fell into Elizabeth's office after seemingly resting against the door.

"What on earth?" JAck muttered, putting his hand out to help Faith up off the floor.

"I was just … I just tripped" she stuttered after righting herself.

Jack looked at her with a strange expression on his face before departing, leaving Elizabeth and Faith staring at each other.

"What was that?" Elizabeth asked, still puzzled.

Faith hurried over to her desk. "I should ask you the same thing. The noises I heard coming from this office."

"Noises?"

"Moaning. Jack's name."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I heard you. You said "Jack you are so good." Don't lie to me."

Elizabeth scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "Oh my goodness. I was talking about the cheesecake! What did you think was …" Elizabeth's eyes widened. "In my office. With Jack. In the middle of the day?! What kind of person do you think I am?!" her voice had turned into a nearly high pitched shriek.

"You're a woman who is taking full advantage of that gorgeous man –"

"Stop! Just stop. First my brother and now you!"

"Tim? What did Tim say about Jack?"

"Nothing. We're not talking about Jack any more. Now, why are you here?"

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your number one designer!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You just accused me of …" Elizabeth halted. "You're changing the subject."

Faith laughed before opening her portfolio on Elizabeth's desk.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

By the end of the week, Elizabeth was exhausted after another full schedule and she collapsed onto the lounge in her house on Saturday afternoon. Willing herself to keep going, she could hardly lift a muscle. She had a particularly grueling workout with her personal trainer the previous morning and she could barely lift her arms to type on her laptop, let alone do anything more substantial.

Instead, she stared out the window. The dark grey clouds that hovered in the sky calmed her. A thunderstorm was imminent and the weather reports indicated the bad weather would be hanging around for a few days. Honestly, it was the best news. Elizabeth was supposed to attend a picnic lunch tomorrow for one of her friends who was recently married and expecting her first child. Although close friends for a long time, once again another friend was drifting away. It seemed to be happening more and more since she had taken over the company.

Elizabeth's eyes began to flutter shut just as she felt a vibration in her jacket pocket. Sighing, she pulled her phone out surprised to see that the caller was her older sister. Viola rarely called or kept in touch. She was too busy looking after her three children to pick up Elizabeth's calls or return them.

Elizabeth answered the call warily. "Hello?"

"Hi Beth. It's Vi. How are you?"

"Fine. I'm surprised to hear from you on a Saturday."

"Yes, well, it looks like we will be returning to the States sooner than anticipated."

Elizabeth frowned. She didn't realise there was any chance of them returning home at all, let alone sooner than planned.

"Okay …" she said slowly.

"That is … Lionel's been made redundant. The company has gone into liquidation."

Now that was surprising. It was a huge multinational technology corporation and seemed to have excellent job security.

"Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that."

"The thing is he needs a job at the company, Elizabeth. We will be back in the next fortnight so he can start then."

Elizabeth reared back. There was no question. Her older sister was telling her, it seemed.

"I can't just give him a job immediately, Vi. You know that."

"What are you talking about? Lionel is more than qualified to work at Thatcher Constructions."

Elizabeth sighed. "Viola, you know I will try and find something for him, but you know very well that he is not necessarily qualified for a construction company."

Lionel had worked in Singapore for the last few years in research and development for the technology empire. His qualifications did not translate easily to a position within Elizabeth's company.

"It is my family's business, Elizabeth. I am a co-owner - meaning Lionel has the right to work there."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Sure, Vi, it was Dad's business but you gave up that aspect when he died. You are a shareholder but I am the CEO so in actual fact you have no right demanding a job there yourself, let alone your husband."

"How dare you use that on me?!" Viola screeched at her.

Elizabeth clenched her fist, trying not to explode. Reining herself back in, she tried her best to keep her voice level. "Look. Give my number to Lionel and get him to give me a call. I need to hear all of this from him."

"Fine."

With that the line went dead when Viola abruptly hung up on her without a goodbye. Elizabeth sighed before placing her phone down on the coffee table.

It was days like this that she just wished it would all end. She was sick of making decisions and relying on tough judgment calls. With her head in her hands, she sat like that for a moment until something came back to her mind. Jack was right. She needed a break.

Grabbing her tablet off the end of the coffee table, she began looking up holiday destinations. Sun, water and sand. That was exactly what she needed.

* * *

Jack was standing in the lobby of Elizabeth's place the next morning, staring out at the sheet of water that fell outside the door. He was drenched himself, having run from the subway station a few blocks away and had just pulled off his waterproof jacket and shaken the water off it. He was sure he was going to leave his own personal puddle on Ms Thatcher's pristine marble tiled floors.

"You can't possibly go back out in that" Alfred said, staring through the window closest to his office.

"I don't want to but if Ms T wants to …"

Alfred laughed. "She won't. No one would."

Jack turned his attention back to the outside. The gutters were full and there was a good few inches running across the sidewalks too. Jack ran his hand through his hair and shook it again, trying to remove any more excess water.

He didn't hear the elevator open at the other end of the foyer or Elizabeth's quiet footsteps. He was still wringing the water from his clothes when she appeared next to him.

"I'm thinking it's going to have to be an indoor run today."

Jack looked up in surprise. "Not a fan of a little rain?"

Elizabeth practically snorted. "Not if I end up looking like a drowned rat. Which I would."

He watched her eyes look him up and down briefly before she turned back toward the elevator.

"Come on, Jack."

He turned to follow her. "Where are we going?"

She smiled over her shoulder at him. "You'll see."

Jack followed behind, being careful not to pay too much attention to her slim body in her black tights and crop top. A thin white tank top was worn over the top and knotted at the side, allowing him to get a perfect view of her behind. His fingers tingled at his sides, wanting more than anything to reach out for her, but he resisted.

Inside the elevator, Elizabeth sent the lift down a level this time.

"What's down here?" Jack asked.

"The gym and pool. I haven't shown you down here before?"

Jack shook his head.

When the doors opened, Elizabeth led him through another door and Jack's mouth dropped in awe. Her home gym wasn't anything like a normal home gym. It was a professional gym in every sense. Every piece of equipment you could need was spaced out around the huge room. A wall of equally spaced mirrors ran along one side and as Jack moved through the room he noticed along the far end he could see windows that looked out over an amazing indoor pool.

Jack's legs drew him toward the window and he stared out at the crystal clear blue water. A light stone coping surrounded the space and the roof was domed to show what appeared to be the sky in twilight. Jack stared up at it.

"That is …" He was speechless.

"Do you like it?"

Jack turned to glance back at Elizabeth before his eye was drawn back to the space.

"It is something else. Who designed it?"

"I did."

Jack looked across at her. "You did?" he asked curiously.

"Yes. I used to be a architectural designer before my Dad passed. That's why I took on renovating this whole property. I didn't want to lose everything that was me."

Jack nodded slowly as his eyes focused back on the ceiling. "How is that …" he trailed off as he saw the lights change and the roof turned into a night sky with shimmering stars. "Wow" he said taking it all in. "You are an incredibly talented woman, you know that right?"

000

Elizabeth felt the impact of his words. For some reason, Jack's opinion was more important than almost anyone else these days. "Thank you."

"I mean that. You run a huge construction company by day and are a closet architectural designer at night. Not many people could do what you do, let alone do it well."

Elizabeth shrugged, embarrassed as to what to say but inside she was beaming. "So do you want to hit the treadmill or try out the pool?"

"Is that a trick question?" he asked smiling, still staring out at the pool.

Elizabeth's smile faltered. "Unless you have something else to do this morning …"

"No" Jack said hurriedly. "I don't have my swim trunks though."

"Don't worry about that. I have spare that I always leave here for Tim."

"I don't know that I want to borrow your brother's shorts" Jack said slowly.

"Don't worry, they're new. He always takes them with him when he goes" she said with a laugh. "He says I have good taste."

Jack nodded at her. "Fine. Let's do this."

Elizabeth showed him where to change before she went to retrieve her own swimming costume. She looked at the selection she had left in her changeroom. There were several bikinis or a black one piece. Despite the one piece covering more skin, it was probably one of the sexier ones. The top plunged into a deep v neck and the back was practically non-existent.

Before she could think more of it, she slipped into it and grabbed a towel from the pile before leaving the change room. Jack was coming out at the same time, a towel thrown over his shoulder but his bare chest on full display. Elizabeth turned her attention away hurriedly, her cheeks already flushing. She dropped her towel hurriedly on one of the lounge chairs and practically dived into the water to escape him. She pulled up, shaking her head to clear the water from her eyes and heard a splash behind her. Jack emerged a few metres away from her.

"This water is perfect."

"Not too warm?"

"No."

Elizabeth laughed. "Tim always complains that I have it running too hot but it's the perfect temperature for me."

"Maybe after you do a few laps but right this minute after being drenched outside on the way here, it feels good to me."

"I'm sorry about that. You could have just messaged me and warned me about how wet it was. I would've understood you not coming."

* * *

Jack did not want to admit that Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings had fast become a highlight of his week. He didn't want to admit that he was falling for this amazing woman in front of him – especially after what he had heard over the last few weeks coming from her own mouth. The fact was that Jack was so far beneath her, he understood why she could never be interested in him like that.

"Anything new on the agenda this week?" he asked her, trying to distract himself from the swell of her chest that rose out of the water in front of him. Those bathers were leaving nothing to the imagination.

"Not really."

"No new dates this week? It's been a while since you've been out on the town" he said with a sly smile.

"Not you too. You sound like my sister."

"Which one?"

"Julie. She's trying to set me up with someone she knows but I keep saying no. You know how much free time I have at the moment. But I have finalised that advertisement for a trial PA."

"That's great."

"Abigail actually seemed interested in the position."

"The agency temp?"

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"Yes, I've spoken to her quite a bit actually. Lovely lady."

Elizabeth nodded, slowly swimming toward the side of the pool. "She gave me her resume on Friday and I am considering starting her on a trial immediately rather than going through the official hiring process. She has already proven to me that she is likely capable."

"That sounds reasonable."

Elizabeth kept swimming slowly from one side to the other while Jack propped an arm against the side.

"You have doubts though?"

"I guess I have trust issues."

Jack smirked at her. "You trust me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, but don't let it go to your head. I'm not sure why I even trust you. You are one of the few people that have made it past my defences these days."

"I think it has something to do with my great sense of humour."

Elizabeth snorted before she let out a chuckle. "Yeah, that's it."

Jack grinned at her, his dimples on full display and Elizabeth felt herself swooning. Why she did trust him so quickly was still a surprise to herself.

"Just give her a go. You said yourself you were going to offer it as a trial period anyway. I'm sure she can get under your skin in three months. I did."

Elizabeth laughed. "Is that what we're calling it now?" she said as she paused, holding onto the side of the pool.

Jack suddenly swam closer to her. She felt her pulse quicken as he swam right by her. "Yep" he whispered as he drifted passed her ear. Her body tingled as the waves from his body pushed against her own. She closed her eyes briefly trying to pretend he had no effect on her.

* * *

Elizabeth was doing his head in. Her beautiful body in the skimpy black swim suit made Jack's eyes pop out of his head when she first appeared. Then when she dropped her towel and disappeared into the water, he felt his whole body reacting to her. All he could do was drop his own towel and rush into the water behind her before she could notice. He moved around in the water, trying to keep a distance from her, when all he wanted to do was run his arms along her sides and pull her closer into him. She was officially going to kill him.

The conversation between them flowed easily, becoming more friendly on every occasion they spoke. He had to convince his head that she was not for him though.

"So why don't you take your sister up on the blind date?"

Elizabeth groaned. "Nooo."

"Live a little."

"It's a waste of time. Every guy I meet these days is just too shallow and self absorbed."

Jack was about to say something about himself but knew he should steer away from comparing himself to these guys out loud to her.

"You never know. He might be _the one_" he said in a mocking voice.

Elizabeth ignored it. "Well, what about you? Who are you dating at the moment?"

"No one."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not interested right now."

"You can't very well push me if you don't want to date either."

Once again Jack held his tongue as he was about to make a comeback with _"I do want to date someone but she's my boss."_

"It's not that, exactly. I'm just trying to sort out a few things in my life right now. Adding a girlfriend to the list is just not an option."

"What a shame. I could have started dating you to get my sister off my back."

Jack's eyes bulged not expecting that answer. "What?"

Elizabeth shook her head with a smirk on her face. "We already see each other twice a week for our running dates. Oh well, never mind."

Jack was speechless.

* * *

Jack stood leaning on the pool edge, mouth flapping open and closed like a fish.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, daringly. "Cat got your tongue."

"No, I- I-"

"Jack it was just a joke. Don't stress" Elizabeth added, trying to not take offence to his apparent lack of interest. "I'll go on a date with Kai if it makes you happy."

"Kai?"

"Julie's friend."

He nodded his head slowly.

"Come on. Let's get in the spa. I'm starting to feel cold."

Jack followed her out of the pool to the corner of the room where a spa was seperated by the main pool by a slightly raised section. Jack groaned as he lowered his body in and Elizabeth turned on the jets.

"I can't believe you have this in your house. I think I would live in here if I could."

"Yeah, well I stayed in a spa too long once when I was younger and I've never done it again. I had to practically crawl out my muscles were so relaxed. Couldn't hold up my own body weight" she said chuckling.

They kept talking for another twenty minutes before dragging themselves away. After showering Jack re-emerged in his dry running clothes.

"I must say I enjoyed that more than a run this morning."

"Just this morning?"

"Or every day" he said grinning.

Elizabeth laughed at him. "I thought you would" she said as they walked back toward the elevator.

"Hopefully we get a few more wet Sunday's" Jack said as he exited in the main foyer. Turning around, he continued walking backwards for a few steps. "Until tomorrow, Ms T" he said with a little wave before spinning around and heading for the main door.

The elevator doors closed between them. "Tomorrow" Elizabeth whispered to herself, hardly able to control the grin that had spread from ear to ear.


	13. Chapter 13

**_(Trying to get chapters out a bit more frequently so some might be a bit short but I'm trying to keep things rolling.)_**

**Chapter 13**

Less than a week later, Jack found himself standing to the side of another five star restaurant watching on in discomfort. Elizabeth sat opposite her blind date for the evening, Kai. Jack didn't like the guy's name before he met him and he liked him even less now that he _had _ laid eyes on him.

Elizabeth threw her head back and laughed. Not that Jack could hear her from his position but he could see that she appeared to be enjoying herself. He could really only see part of her profile. He was graced with a good view of her bare shoulders and back more than anything. Not that he couldn't admire this view but he couldn't be certain if she was really enjoying herself. He would have to see her eyes to know that for sure.

Jack sighed. He thought this part of his job was the worst and after the conversation with Elizabeth last Sunday in the pool he thought it was a long way off occurring any time soon. Apparently, he was wrong. No sooner had Jack drifted into work in a good mood that week that it had all soured. Now standing here, glaring at Kai he knew exactly why.

His green eyes, both literally and figuratively, bored into the side of Kai's head.

* * *

Elizabeth could feel Jack's eyes on her at every move. She was trying her best to concentrate on Kai's conversation but she knew her attnetion was drifting at times.

After telling her sister Julie about what had transpired last weekend over dinner on Sunday night, Julie seemed to know exactly what to say.

"I just can't read him, Julie. What do I do?"

"You go out with Kai, of course."

"Julie! How does that fix anything right now?"

"You will know for sure how Jack feels about you."

Elizabeth shook her head trying to make sense of what her sister was saying. "What?"

"Think about it. He seems like he's into you but won't do anything about it. He is your employee so if you really want to get a good gauge on whether to make a move or not, you need to be certain of his feelings."

"Okay."

"Go out with Kai and observe Jack."

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't want to play games."

"You won't be. If you like Kai, keep dating him. Otherwise, turn him down like you normally would after a first date and maybe you will get some sympathy off Jack in the process."

Elizabeth groaned in frustration, yet here she was now sitting talking to this guy who she really had nothing in common with. He was a nice guy, but his life revolved around partying and traveling by the sounds of it – in other words the perfect guy for _Julie_, not her_._

When the meal finally wrapped up, Elizabeth was eager to get out of there.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Kai."

"You're welcome Beth."

He held the main restaurant door open for her as she emerged onto the street. She didn't need to look to know that Jack was not far away – she could all but feel his presence. Thankfully, he moved toward the street to where her car was being brought around to stop in front of the restaurant.

Elizabeth took that opportunity to quickly say goodbye.

"I'll give you a call" Kai said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I will look forward to it" she said with a smile as she walked toward the car where Jack now stood waiting for her with the door open.

She smoothly slid in and Jack closed the door behind her before he reappeared on the other side, sliding in beside her on the back seat. He didn't say anything but Elizabeth expected him to mention something. Sure enough after a few minutes, he couldn't help himself.

"Nice guy. Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, thank you" Elizabeth said with a smile, which may have looked like she was smiling about the nice dinner when in actual fact she could barely hold in her laughter of Jack trying to resist saying anything.

She could see his knee bouncing slowly and his left hand seemed to be trying to keep it still.

"Are all of your first dates with these guys the same?"

The question threw Elizabeth. She looked over at him uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"I've been on a few of your dates now and they're all the same."

Elizabeth frowned. "I don't know …"

"Five star restaurants. Fancy food, famous people. It's like these guys just want to be seen with you."

"I guess you're right" she said slowly. "What do you do when you take a girl on a date?"

Jack laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Clearly his answer was rhetorical but Elizabeth pressed him again.

"Yes, I would actually. Since you've been so successful in that department, I would like to know how you win over all the ladies" Elizabeth said, her voice showing she was more frustrated than she would like to admit.

Jack glared at her. "That's a bit of a cheap shot."

"You started it" she retorted, childishly.

Jack exhaled loudly not saying anything immediately. He glanced sideways at her for a moment. "Next time you have a Sunday free, I will show you."

"Show me what?"

"What I would do on a date if I were trying to impress someone."

Elizabeth forgot that she was mad at him. "Really?" she asked, her eyes brightening at the thought of going on a date with Jack.

"Yeah, just to show you what you're missing out on with these guys."

Then it was like a bucket of cold water was dumped on her head. He wasn't actually asking her out on a date like she was anticipating. This was just a friendly arrangement, it seemed.

"Okay, sure. That would be good."

Jack nodded and they sat in silence for the remainder of the drive.

* * *

On Saturday, Jack made his usual drive to his parent's place. He walked into the house to find Hannah busily colouring in at her table and chair in the corner of the room.

"Uncle Jack" she squealed when she noticed him. She ran towards him and Jack picked her up, throwing her into the air. She wore a purple princess dress that was almost too long for her.

"Look at me. I'm Princess Ana."

"Of course, you are" Jack said, having no idea what she was talking about.

His mother emerged from the hallway. "That movie is driving me crazy. I thought Thomas the Tank Engine when you boys were little was bad."

Jack put Princess Hannah back on the floor and she ran off still shouting to Jack over her shoulder. "I have a drawing for you, Uncle Jack. Wait. Let me finish."

Charlotte Thornton wrapped her son in a hug.

"How is he doing?" Jack asked, referring to his father.

"Alright. The first lot of chemo hasn't been too bad, but he is quite tired already. He's resting now."

"How about I take Hannah out for the day and you can both have some time to yourself?"

"Jack that would be great, but –"

Jack held up his hand. "It's fine. Let me do this."

"Thank you, Jack. Thank you for the money you transferred this week, too. You didn't need to."

"But I did. Hopefully that will help with the childcare payments at least."

Charlotte sighed. Jack didn't want to admit it but his mother looked exhausted too. "We need to talk about this some more later Jack."

Jack nodded, knowing what the conversation would entail but he had no idea how he could help anymore than he already was while maintaining his work hours.

Jack gathered Hannah's things while she changed out of her princess dress. Jack borrowed his mother's car and Hannah was strapped into her carseat and then they were off on an adventure for the day. They went to the park, where Jack pushed her for seemingly hours on a swing, went to the lake for a paddle, ended up passing a bike store where he found her a pink balance bike and helmet. Then they spent the afternoon riding up and down a straight section of the local bike track until Hannah got the hang of it. After a chocolate icecream, which ended up more on Hannah's t-shirt than in her mouth, they headed back home. Hannah was fast asleep before Jack had pulled out of the carpark.

Jack pulled into his parents garage and undid Hannah's harness before lifting her up carefully and carrying her into the house.

"What did you do to her?" Jack's father, Tom, said laughing as they appeared.

"Did my best to wear her out."

Tom chuckled as Jack continued carrying her to her bedroom. He laid her down in her bed, before pulling off her shoes and socks. Her chocolate stained tshirt would have to stay that way until morning, he thought grimacing at the mess. Charlotte stood at the door watching him.

"Sorry. She will need a good bath in the morning" he said as he leant over and kissed her forehead before standing up.

Charlotte smiled. "That's fine. Did she have a good time?"

"I think so."

"Thank you, Jack. That was very kind of you to do on your day off."

"It's the least I could do considering you and Dad never get a day off."

"Just make sure you make time for you, Jack. Find a nice girl. Have your own family. Life will pass you by otherwise."

Normally Jack would argue with his mother but, truthfully, he had been thinking of just that during the day. Things had felt so natural with Hannah and he wondered what it would be like to have someone by his side, doing all those things with his own children. He didn't want to admit it but Elizabeth's face had appeared in his mind more than once during the day.

"If I stumble across some girl that meets the criteria, I will give it a shot."

"Criteria? Goodness Jack. Don't tell me that you have a list?" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Not exactly. Just the usual: beautiful, smart, funny, family-oriented. Those kind of things."

Charlotte nodded, her eyes boring into his. That was the scary thing about his mother. She was a lot more intuitive than she ever let along. "Uh huh" she said slowly.

"I had better get going. I have an early start at work tomorrow."

"How is Ms Thatcher going?"

Jack hadn't told his mother much about his workplace. Just the bare minimum. "She is still a difficult one to figure."

Charlotte smiled. "Sounds like she's keeping you on your toes. I do like the sound of this woman. Perhaps one day I could meet her."

"Sure Ma" he said as he headed for the door.

* * *

Jack fumbled with the keys to his door before he practically fell into his apartment, exhausted after the huge day. A couple of hours driving each way and then the hours babysitting Hannah had taken their toll after a long work week.

He had grabbed some take away dinner on the drive home so as not to waste precious time when he reached his destination – his nice, big, comfortable bed. He collapsed face first, barely able to kick off his shoes. The soft sheets wrapped around him and he was almost asleep. He shook himself awake quickly remembering he had yet to set his alarm for the following morning. He pulled out his cell phone and plugged it into the charger as he went to set the alarm, he realised there was a text message waiting.

_MsT: I'm free tomorrow if you want to show me what I've been missing out on._

Jack stared at the text that was sent an hour ago. He almost replied _'It's a date'_ but thought better of it. It wasn't an actual date. It was just him showing his boss what other possibilities exist out there. He chuckled to himself at the way he was trying to reason it in his head. A whole day to spend with Elizabeth was dangerous but before he could talk himself out of it, he replied.

_Jack: You're on. Pick you up at 9._


	14. Chapter 14

_(This is a fictional story and most of you know that I am not American, so forgive the vagueness of their adventure today. I didn't want to detail specific places which I have never seen, so let's just pretend away … ;) ) (P.S +5000 words here for you - a new record for me!)_

**Chapter 14**

_**Previously …**_

_MsT: I'm free tomorrow if you want to show me what I've been missing out on._

Jack stared at the text that was sent an hour ago. He almost replied _'It's a date'_ but thought better of it. It wasn't an actual date. It was just him showing his boss what other possibilities exist out there. He chuckled to himself at the way he was trying to reason it in his head. A whole day to spend with Elizabeth was dangerous but before he could talk himself out of it, he replied.

_Jack: You're on. Pick you up at 9._

_**Continued …**_

Elizabeth stared at the message that came through, her heart beating rapidly. She felt flustered just at the idea of seeing Jack. She had no idea what his plan was but if he was picking her up at 9 before they normally went for a run, she knew it was definitely going to be different.

She began typing hurriedly. She typed the word 'date' first before backspacing. She didn't want Jack to misinterpret her. Elizabeth's thumbs hovered on the screen before she shook her head with a laugh and typed 'thing' instead.

_Elizabeth: Okay. What is the dress code for this thing?_

Her leg bounced as she waited for a reply. After several seconds she got frustrated with herself and before flopping backwards on her bed and casting her phone aside. _It's just Jack_, she told herself._ No one to get all worked up about! _ But as her phone chimed to signal a text, her body defied her, lunging for it.

_MrAnnoying: Casual but wear sturdy shoes :)_

Elizabeth's nerves disappeared and were replaced with confusion. _Sturdy shoes? What on earth does he have planned?!_

* * *

Jack stood in the foyer a few minutes before 9 am as planned. Alfred had looked at his watch confused when Jack had been buzzed in.

"You're a bit early there, son."

"No, we're doing something different today."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. We're going on a daytrip."

Alfred just nodded his head with a soft smile. "Alright then."

Ten minutes later Elizabeth appeared wearing black tights, a long baby pink sweater and light grey runners. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had donned a white baseball cap. As she walked up to Jack he could only smile. At least she did know how to do some form of casual even though the whole outfit probably did cost a fortune by the look of it.

"Ready?" Jack asked.

"Will this do?" Elizabeth asked waving at herself.

"Uh huh" Jack said with a smile. She did look really cute but Jack didn't want to embarrass himself by saying anything more. He glanced at Alfred and saw the old man grinning from ear to ear while looking between them. "Let's go" he said hurriedly heading back toward the elevator.

"Where to?" Elizabeth asked as she followed him.

"The car" he said as he pressed the elevator button and held the doors open for her to step in before he followed.

As the door closed, the silence wrapped around them and Jack didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous.

"I've arranged for Ned, who was the driver on call today, to drive us out of the city to my truck and then we will continue the rest of the way from there. Ollie was on duty today but I let him know he wasn't needed."

"So it's just you and I?"

"Yep. I will be your bodyguard and pretend boyfriend for the day" Jack said with a quick smile, before facing forward again as the doors opened at the basement level. He waited for Elizabeth to exit in front of him as he was mentally face palming himself for saying boyfriend instead of just plain date.

Ned was waiting in the car so Jack opened Elizabeth's door before running around to the other side of the private car and sliding in. Ned and Elizabeth were already talking when he shut his door.

" … going on an adventure for the day. Something a bit different, you see" Elizabeth finished telling Ned.

"It is nice for you, Ms Thatcher, to get out of the city for the day. Especially when you have this guy as your guard" Ned said happily.

Jack smiled at the compliment. He had expected Ned would be mad at him personally when some of the older guards got relocated but Jack actually thought Ned liked his quieter situation rather than traipsing around on foot after Elizabeth all day.

"To the address as planned, Jack?"

"Yes, please Ned."

They had only just got onto the street when, surprisingly, Ned raised the privacy screen between the drivers seat and the rear cabin. Jack glanced at Elizabeth unsure.

"I didn't ask him to do that" he said hurriedly.

"I don't mind." Elizabeth shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Are you going to tell me anymore about today?"

"No chance" Jack said, grinning. "It's a surprise."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Do you say that to all your dates?"

"I wouldn't exactly make it sound like I have a revolving list of women I take on dates."

"So how many have you done this with?"

Jack was silent for a moment, assessing her. She was teasing him, he knew that much. "What we're doing today?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"None. But I had to work with what I've been given" he said trying to keep a straight face as he waved his hand in her direction.

Elizabeth huffed at him. He could imagine if they weren't sitting down in a car she would have put her hands on her hips in annoyance. As it was she had narrowed her eyes and raised her chin up slightly. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm trying to take you out of your element. Show you that these guys you date are doing it all wrong."

"How are we going to do this today then?"

"How about we pretend we are going on a date, like we planned, and you tell me tonight whether I would have earnt a second date or not" Jack said with a smirk.

"Deal" Elizabeth said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

Jack laughed before taking her small, cool hand in his own large, warm ones. They shook hands, their hands lingering just for a moment before they mutually pulled away.

"Did you see your niece yesterday?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes" Jack smiled and continued to tell her all the things the two of them got up to.

* * *

Elizabeth couldn't deny she was nervous and as soon as they had shaken hands she felt like her heatbeat had tripled in speed. His warm hand felt so natural in hers. Everything about him just fit. He made her feel warm and safe just sitting beside him.

They started talking about Jack's niece, Hannah, and she could feel the love he had for her overflowing in the stories he told.

"I would love to meet her one day. She sounds adorable."

"Oh, she is."

The stories continued backwards and forwards including growing up and different stories with their respective siblings.

"Julie sounds like such a character."

"If that's what you call it. She is energetic, extroverted and has absolutely no filter" Elizabeth said giggling before becoming more serious, "but at the same time she is incredibly loyal and if I ask her for help, she will be by my side immediately."

"That sounds almost exactly like Tom. Not sure about the 'no filter' part but he would definitely let you know what he was thinking!" Jack said grinning, before his grin faded at the recollection. "Damn, I miss him."

Elizabeth reached her hand out to his, which was resting on his leg. "I know."

Jack turned his hand over, their palms kissing each other as their hands locked together. Jack stared at it for a moment, Elizabeth could see he was totally lost in thought when Ned's voice came over the speaker.

"We're pulling up now."

Jack released Elizabeth's hand immediately and got out of the car the second it had slowed to a stop.

After changing cars, Jack subtly checked that Elizabeth's phone tracker was logging onto the secure app that he had access to, along with Lee. After making sure it was working, he turned to Elizabeth, who sat in the passenger seat, her sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Ready for your adventure?"

"You bet" she said eagerly.

Jack turned up the music to the stereo and put the truck into drive. Over another hour later, filled with conversation and singing to songs that they both knew, Jack's truck was meandering through the entrance to a park. The sun was out in full strength, although the temperature wasn't incredibly warm yet for the time of the year. Jack could see Elizabeth watching the signs pass by, her expression puzzled, trying to work out where they were headed.

"I haven't been here before" she said as she looked around in awe at the tall trees that now surrounded the truck. The bright sunlight filtered through the treetop canopy.

Jack smiled as he steered the truck around a small carpark and found a spot. He checked his cell phone coverage before getting out and going around to Elizabeth's door which she opened at the same time. He held his hand out to help her down from the truck. She put the strap of her small bag over her neck so that it hung beneath one arm.

* * *

"Have you got your phone?" Jack asked her, as he grabbed a small backpack from the backseat.

"Of course" Elizabeth said rolling her eyes.

"You're going to need it."

"Why? Who am I expecting a call from?"

Jack just raised his eyebrows, giving her a look of his own before replying. "Photos, of course. Come on" he said taking her hand and tugging her toward the entrance to the hiking trail.

Elizabeth grinned as she let him lead her along, the warmth of his hand contrasting with the cool air that surrounded them on the forest floor. She looked up at the tops of the trees as Jack guided her along until she stumbled over a tree root. Before she could faceplant on the ground, Jack had wrapped his hands around her hips stabilising her. Only then did Elizabeth look up to see just how close Jack's face was to her own.

"Easy" he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I just got distracted."

Jack's eyes moved over her face, a look clear in his eyes. He seemed to shake himself out of it before he settled her back on her feet. His eyes seemed to study her for another moment before he turned away, not reaching for her hand like he had done before.

"It's not too far. Come on."

Elizabeth wasn't sure what she was expecting. There had been other cars in the carpark but they only passed two other couples the entire time that they were walking. Jack and her spoke a little but Elizabeth was actually enjoying the quiet.

Some time later, she could hear the sound of water ahead. It progressively got louder and louder as they walked along the narrowed trail until they came around a big boulder and the water spray was evident in the air, as well as on the wetter trail.

Jack stepped down a couple of rocks but reached his hand back to help her down and she did notice how slippery it was now. Jack didn't pull his hand away from hers this time and instead they walked closer to the sound of the water until Elizabeth saw the huge waterfall appear in a break in the trees.

"Wow" she said as they got closer until Jack stopped in front of her. Elizabeth came to stand beside him and stared up at the scene of the rushing water. She glanced to her side at the same time that Jack looked down at her, their hands still clasped between them.

"What do you think?"

"It's a good first date so far" she said with a smile.

Jack laughed loudly. "Well, I should hope so. I am trying to impress you, after all."

Elizabeth smiled at him before looking back in front of her. The waterfall plummeted into a pool which was surrounded by rocks on all sides. She peered closer and could see that the water wasn't too deep. The water then appeared to cascade away over small rocks and boulders on one side.

"Come on. Let's find somewhere to sit."

"It's a bit wet, isn't it?" Elizabeth said as she looked around the waterfall base. There were two women nearby who were standing at the edge of the pool, trying to get some good photos and another family of four who were making their way back to the trail, the parents walking ahead of their two young teenagers.

"Don't worry. I've come prepared." Jack still held her hand as he led her off in a different direction and only then did Elizabeth see an unmarked narrow trail between the trees. Jack led her along it and then took a sharp turn back toward the water where they re-emerged downstream from the waterfall and somewhere slightly drier. Jack stopped and pulled his backpack around in front of himself before removing a large towel from one of the pockets. He laid it nearby on a flatter section of rock before motioning for her to sit.

Elizabeth sat down, her feet out in front of her so she could face upstream. It wasn't quite so noisy here, away from the main attraction. She watched the water rushing between the rocks, a smaller version of water rapids. There was a calmer small pool right behind her and as she looked more closely, she could see many small fish swimming about.

"Oh Jack! There are fish in there! Can you see them?" she said pointing enthusiastically.

"I sure can" he said smiling at her as he took a seat beside her leaving a decent gap between them. Elizabeth noticed the distance and felt somewhat disappointed until Jack began delving into his bag again to remove a bunch of things from the chilled section inside and place them down on the rock in the space between them.

"What's all this?"

Jack smiled. "It wouldn't be much of a date if I didn't at least give you something to eat and drink, now would it?"

Just the mention of food made Elizabeth's stomach grumble loudly. Their eyes connected and both of them burst out laughing.

"It seems I should have provided you with some sustenance earlier" Jack said as he continued preparing everything that he had brought with him. Various plastic containers, paper bags and a large plastic plate now sat between them and Elizabeth watched in amazement as Jack took all the food out and placed it on the plate between them.

"Jack! This is …"

"I know it's probably not what you would normally eat –"

Elizabeth cut him off by placing her hand on his and he paused momentarily.

"I was going to say this is amazing. You've gone to so much effort."

Elizabeth watched Jack as he merely shrugged off her comment, seeming to avoid eye contact. She smiled at his embarrassment and looked over the food. She was delighted to see an array of cold meats, cheeses, dates, crackers, dips, bread, fruit and chocolate. It all made her mouth water.

"Dig in" Jack said as he handed her a paper serviette.

Elizabeth grinned at him before diving for some of the precut cheese and sourdough bread. As soon as she took a bite, she groaned in delight.

"Sooo good" she said before realising Jack was watching her and not following her lead. "What?"

Jack laughed at her as he shook his head. "Nothing."

Elizabeth watched him chuckle to himself and she stayed still, chewing slowly until she could swallow. "Why are you laughing?"

Jack shrugged as he got some bread and piled it with some ham and cheese before sandwiching it with another piece. He shrugged at her before answering. "It's like you've never eaten cheese and bread before."

Elizabeth smiled back. "I was really hungry."

"Sure."

They sat there smiling at each other as they grazed on the food between them.

"It's really nice here. How do you know of this place?"

"I used to come here as a kid, usually in summer. My Ma would let my brother and I wade through the water here while she would walk along the side keeping an eye on us."

Elizabeth looked around her. "That would be a bit tricky, wouldn't it?"

"You're forgetting that there is a lot of water coming through here right now compared to what there would be in summer."

They continued talking as they ate. Jack pulled out a plastic bottle of flavoured soda water and Elizabeth noticed it was the exact one that she always had on hand at work. She sipped her drink as she took in the scenery around her.

After eating and talking, Jack stood up and put his hand out for Elizabeth to help her up. She stood up too and gave him a quizzical look.

"What are we doing?"

"I did promise you photos."

"Alright."

"Where's your phone?"

Elizabeth pulled into out of her small bag and handed it to him. He opened the camera app and told her where to stand so he could take a photo of her with the waterfall as the backdrop. She stood there smiling at him as he took several pictures, before she came around to peer at the photos over his shoulder. They didn't look too bad.

"Alright, you're turn" Elizabeth said, pulling him back to wear she had just been standing. "Selfie time."

"Aw, that's not necessary."

"It sure is!"

Jack groaned but Elizabeth didn't let him off the hook. Jack held out her phone since he had a longer arm, his other arm wrapped around her back, his large hand holding her waist. Elizabeth was surprised by how natural it felt and had barely gotten into position when he snapped a picture before she was ready. Elizabeth turned to him and glared and she was fairly certain he kept snapping more shots of their interaction.

"Just try to at least look happy on our date, Elizabeth."

"I am happy, Jack" she said as she smiled.

He took several more photos and when he handed the phone for her to preview them, this time he hovered over her shoulder. "That one looks good" Jack said as he moved away, sitting back down on the rock.

Once they finished eating, Jack cleaned up everything before stowing everything back in his bag. He pulled out one last smaller container and handed it to Elizabeth with a plastic fork.

"What's this?" she asked as she opened up the container to see a generous piece of cookies and cream cheesecake. She looked back up at Jack who was watching her.

"It wouldn't be a good date unless I brought your favourite dessert now would it?"

Elizabeth giggled as she took a bite. "Oh Jack, this is divine. Where did you get this?" she said before diving in and taking another mouthful.

"I know a place."

She took another bite before realising that Jack wasn't eating any. "Where's yours?"

He shook his head. "I don't need any dessert."

"Nonsense" she said scooping up a big piece onto her fork and sliding closer, she held it out towards him. He looked at her like she was crazy. "Open up."

"Ah, no."

"Don't be silly Jack. You have to try this."

"That's not necessary."

"But it is. You have to know what you're missing out on."

"It's fine. You will enjoy it more than me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Jack. Open your mouth."

"No."

She tried another tactic. "You're supposed to be making a good impression. Eating cheesecake on a date even if you don't like it is a part of being appealing."

Jack stared her down before relenting. "Fine." He opened his mouth and she practically shoved the fork into his mouth. He grabbed her hand that held the fork, holding it still so he could eat the cheesecake. She watched him closely, their eyes locked on one another and the intensity of his eyes made her loosen her grip. Jack took the fork out of her hand altogether. He finished his mouthful before reaching over and scooping up another bite of cheesecake. He held it out for her this time, the move seeming more intimate than she expected of him. Elizabeth opened her mouth and expected him to feed her the cheesecake but at the last moment he moved the fork, causing the cream cheese to cover the end of her nose.

Her mouth dropped open as she glared at him, his cheeky expression not lost on her as he burst out laughing. She snatched the fork off him as his loud laughter seemed to bounce off the rocks and water around them and become more amplified. The piece of cheesecake fell into her hand but Jack didn't notice. He was soon clutching his stomach in his laughing fit, tears rolling down his face as Elizabeth just stared at him motionless.

She rolled her eyes as she wiped the cream cheese off her nose, the cheesecake still held on her hand. Jack now had tears rolling down his cheeks. He tried to speak but could barely got three syllables out when he couldn't help but burst into laughter again. He had stood up and was now rocking backwards and forwards. Elizabeth shook her head, pretending to be annoyed but couldn't help smiling on the inside at Jack's booming laughter.

As his laughter started to die down, Elizabeth stood up, moving closer to him and before he noticed she pressed the blob of cheesecake into his own nose. He froze, his eyes still leaking tears of laughter when he realised what was on his nose.

"You!" he said before he grabbed Elizabeth by the waist and pressed his nose against her cheek. She felt the wet, slippery sensation press into her and she shrieked but she couldn't escape those strong hands. They were both laughing until Elizabeth realised the position that they were in. Jack was holding her waist tight, his head now nuzzling into her neck and she had one hand wrapped around his head, the other clutching his bicep. They seemed to both freeze simultaneously. Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath, trying to control her rapid heart beat but her senses were assaulted by his cologne and just his smell. She closed her eyes trying to recollect herself.

* * *

Jack had meant it as a joke but as soon as they had clung to each other like that, it was like their bodies were betraying them. His head was telling him 'No', but his body wouldn't pull away. Instead his hands rested firmly on her hips and his head was still buried in her neck. He took a breath before he attempted to pull away but that was a mistake. Her sweet smelling perfume combined with the smell of her hair made him lose all control of his senses.

Jack slowly pulled back, looking down at the beautiful woman in front of him. The one he had sworn to protect. His eyes moved from Elizabeth's bright blue eyes, passed her cheesecake covered cheek to her lush pink lips and for a moment he wondered what they would taste like. He wouldn't do anything to find out. He couldn't take advantage of her like that.

Jack watched the lips as they got closer to his own and just like that, they were pressed against his and his eyes closed as he savoured the feeling. His tongue darted from between his own lips, sucking on her top lip and sure enough, they tasted sweet with a lingering cheesecake flavour. Lost in the moment, his hand reached out, threading through her hair and clutching the base of her head as the kiss deepened. Jack still wasn't really thinking what he was doing, still lost in the feel of the most perfect kiss he had ever experienced. He could feel her small hands clinging to him, one of her hands moving to grip his shirt. The kiss had started off innocent but now they were both kissing with more desperation. His free arm had wrapped around her back holding her closer to him and she had one arm gripping his hair. His tongue darted between her lips, tasting and exploring further. Everything about her was addictive. He never wanted to stop what he was doing right in that moment.

Suddenly nearby voices brought Jack back to his senses and he broke away from Elizabeth quickly. He stepped backward and they both stood there staring at each other, arms hanging by their sides, breathing heavily. As the voices got closer, Elizabeth broke eye contact and bent down to grab a serviette before dipping it into the water and proceeded to clean the dessert off her face. Jack knelt down to pick up the towel and pack it away. As he zipped up the bag, a wet serviette came into his line of sight and he glanced up to see Elizabeth pointing at his own cheek, which he wiped at hurriedly, just as the people talking came into view. The two young men passed by not paying them much attention beside a friendly smile.

"Ready to go?" Jack asked Elizabeth as he stood up, swinging the bag onto his back.

Elizabeth nodded, smiling at him. Unsure as to how to proceed from what just happened, but suddenly feeling the inappropriateness of his actions, Jack thought they should maintain some distance between them.

"Great. Let's head back then." He turned away from her and began the walk back, glancing behind him every now and again to make sure Elizabeth was following closely.

An awkward silence seemed to hang between them and Jack thought he should say something to 'clear the air'. He didn't think he could make it worse, but he was wrong. He slowed his pace so that they were walking beside one another.

"I'm sorry about before, Ms T. I should never have done that."

"Done what, Jack?"

"Kissed you like that. I forgot my place. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

The silence hung between them still.

"Hang on, what's your place?" Elizabeth asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

The tone of hurt she used made him glance back at her. "Your employee."

"Right and you think that's all you are to me? An employee?" she asked.

"Well, yes."

Elizabeth shook her head, a grim expression on her face. "So you can't be my friend as well?"

Jack knew he couldn't be the type of friend she was implying. He couldn't keep his job, keep money coming in for Hannah, when Elizabeth Thatcher decided she was done with him. He couldn't watch her date other guys as it was, let alone if he had a more complicated history with her. He had to think of Hannah.

"No. My job is to keep you safe. Today was a bad idea, I'm sorry. Getting distracted like that could have been dangerous. Those guys could have been -"

Elizabeth held up her hand. "They weren't. They were just hikers, like us."

Jack looked down at her as they continued walking. "No, but they could have been. I could have endangered your life and my own by being so irresponsible."

Elizabeth pinched her lips but didn't say anymore. They walked in silence back to the carpark and when he attempted to help her into the passenger seat, she walked past his offered hand and climbed into the seat on her own.

The drive home was just as awkward and silent. He drove her all the way to her apartment, driving into the building basement through the security door as the sun was dropping in the sky. What had started out as a beautiful and promising day now seemed tainted. Jack stopped the truck beside the elevator and went to get out but Elizabeth held up her hand.

"There's no need, Jack. Thanks for the day out and lunch. It was …" he watched her hesitate for a word, her eyes glancing away from his. "No one has gone to that much effort for me in a long time, so thankyou" she said quickly, giving him a weak smile before she hurriedly departed his truck. Jack's hand was on the handle about to jump out and run after her, but he stalled and Elizabeth was already in the elevator and then the doors were closed between them and she was gone. Jack slammed his hands down on the steering wheel in frustration.

That night as he lay in his own bed, miles away from her, but still thinking about her all the same, his phone chimed with an incoming text.

_MsT: Sorry for being a distraction. It won't happen again. You were right. We should never have crossed that line today._

Attached to the text was one of the photos they took at the waterfall. Both he and Elizabeth were standing close together, beaming at the camera. It was a nice photo. A second later, another photo came through. Jack stared at that one for a long time. It was one of the photos that he must have kept taking while they were still setting up and it was at the split second that he had turned to look down at Elizabeth as she beamed up at him. They looked so happy. They looked like a real couple. They looked at each other with more feeling than an employer and their employee should.


	15. Chapter 15

_**(Be warned … mild cliff hanger but hopefully Ch 16 up quickly.)**_

_**(Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Positive and happy reviews are huge motivation!)**_

**Chapter 15**

Elizabeth woke to her alarm early on Monday morning. She rolled out of bed, blinking her eyes, trying to wake up, the same way that she always did. She stood up, grabbing her phone from the night stand, before moving to the armchair in the corner of her bedroom where her gym gear was set up from the night before. She tossed her phone down, pulling her pyjamas off slowly and pulling on her tights, crop top and singlet. Once dressed, she picked up her phone and unlocked it. Up until now, her routine was the same as every Monday morning.

Elizabeth stared at her phone screen intently for a minute. She then turned around, put her phone back on the nightstand and crawled back under the covers and with a groan she covered her head with another pillow.

* * *

Lee had been sitting at his work desk for the past hour, a previously hot cup of coffee was now forgotten beside him after he had checked the previous days logs. Now his foot was tapping, anxiously waiting for Jack to show up for the start of his shift. There was only one other man in the room, one of the older guys called Rob, watching the monitors. He was partially deaf these days so Lee wasn't worried about him listening in to all the questions he now had ready to bombard Jack with as soon as he arrived.

At exactly 7:28 am, Lee saw Jack arrive downstairs and with about 30 seconds to spare, Jack walked in the door.

"Hi Jack."

Jack looked toward his desk in surprise. "Lee. What are you doing here so early?"

"Oh, nothing. Just checking over everything from last week. Making sure we have a smooth operation happening here."

Jack looked at him warily, not able to pick up on what exactly was going on but probably knowing something was up.

"Speaking of smooth" Lee continued, "what's this I heard about you taking Ollie's shift yesterday?"

Jack turned his back to him as he pulled his jacket off and tucked it on the back of his chair, answering without making eye contact.

"Ms T asked me for a favour, so I helped her out."

"A favour? What type of favour?"

"Just a small one." Jack turned back around to face him. "How was your weekend, Lee? What did you get up to?"

Lee grinned at his effort to change the subject. "Ha ha. Nice one, Jack. What was the favour?"

"It's not important."

"Well since I'm head of the security team, perhaps she should have run this favour by me" he mused, keeping his expression serious. "After all this favour caused Ms Thatcher to travel all the way from the city to some place miles away in the middle of nowhere."

Jack shook his head. "You really want to know?"

"Yes!"

Jack reluctantly began to tell him, his voice hesitant waiting for Lee's reaction. "I took her out to show her what normal guys do on a date, not what these stuck-up and pretentious guys make her sit through."

Lee's eyes widened. "You took Ms Thatcher on a date?!" he said loudly.

"Ssssh" Jack said as he waved his hands at him to quieten down. "Not a real date. Just an outing to show her that there are other … possibilities" he said quietly as Lee approached.

"Other possibilities? Meaning you?"

"No!"

The two men stood in silence for a moment. "So nothing happened on this 'not-date' of yours?" Lee asked.

Jack didn't answer immediately. "I wouldn't say nothing happened" he mumbled.

Lee's eyes went as large as saucers as he smacked Jack's shoulder with the back of his hand. "You didn't!"

"Didn't what? She took advantage of me and that's the story I'm sticking with."

Lee's eyebrows were still stuck in his hairline at this point. "Took advantage of you? What on earth happened?"

"Nothing and that 'nothing' won't be happening again."

"Uh huh. So you two aren't together or anything?"

Jack sighed, looking defeated. "No. I stuffed up everything. I basically got annoyed at myself for becoming distracted. I was her sole protection out there and I got caught up in the moment and –"

"You like her" Lee said, beaming at him.

"No, of course not!"

"You do. It's written all over your face. You've fallen for your boss."

Jack glanced behind Lee making sure no one else could hear him. When the coast was clear, he looked back at Lee momentarily before his eyes glued themselves to the floor. "Maybe. I don't know. She's … she's impossible, that's what."

"What does that mean?"

Jack huffed as he took his seat. "It means that being with her is impossible. It means it should never have happened and it can't happen again. I can't afford to lose this job and having a fling with your boss would definitely cause me to lose my job."

"A fling, Jack. Ms Thatcher doesn't really do flings."

"No, but she dates most guys for like a month or two and then it's over. I need this job more than anything right now."

Lee nodded. "Okay. If you say so."

Jack looked at Lee gratefully when he didn't push any further.

"I did have a question though" Lee added after a moment.

"What?"

"Just take a look at the data logs" Lee said ushering him to his own computer and after minimising another window he brought up the data in question. He motioned for Jack to take his seat, which he did, and he immediately leant forward and began perusing the information.

"Hang on, this isn't right" Jack asked, his finger pointing to the data on the screen.

"No, it's not. It looks like you found a weakness in the tracker on Ms Thatcher's phone."

"It just cut out here altogether. But I checked my own cell and I had signal."

"But her's must not have."

Jack sat there for a moment, checking further down the list. "This is a big problem."

"Yep. What do you think we do about it?"

Jack leaned back in the chair, staring at the screen. "Let me think on it for a bit."

* * *

Elizabeth made her way down the main walkway in a hurry toward the conference room. She glanced down at her watch realising just how late she was as she rounded the corner and collided with another person.

"Ooof" the other woman said, as Elizabeth braced herself from falling.

She looked up to see she had run into Abigail.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I was in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going."

"No problem, Ms Thatcher." Abigail was standing there brushing down her clothes in attempt to recover herself.

Elizabeth looked at her again. "Come to think of it, I wanted to have a word with you later if you wouldn't mind coming by my office."

"Of course. What time would be best?"

"Maybe just after lunch. Say 1pm."

"I will see you then."

* * *

Jack was walking down the main corridor stretching his legs and attempting to clear his mind. He had been staring at all the data from the day prior but was yet to find a solution to the problem Lee had discovered.

As he walked, something on the ground caught his eye next to the base of an indoor pot plant. Jack bent down and discovered a silver locket and brought it closer for inspection. The engraving on the front looked familiar. He'd seen this before a few times. He turned it over in his hands and discovered that one of the links had broken.

Jack stood back up and headed back toward the security room. He was almost certain that this necklace belonged to Elizabeth and already an idea was forming in his head. He wasn't sure if it would work but he would try if it meant keeping Elizabeth safe.

* * *

Elizabeth was back at her desk when there was a knock at her door and Abigail appeared.

"Is now a good time, Ms Thatcher?"

"Yes, Abigail. Come and take a seat."

Abigail seemed nervous as she came in and took a seat opposite Elizabeth.

"So are you still interested in the PA position?"

Abigail nodded eagerly.

"I figured since you seem eager" Elizabeth continued, "to save myself some time, maybe we could proceed with a three month trial. How does that sound?"

Abigail was beaming, her hands clasped together on her lap as she nodded. "That sounds perfect."

"Great. I will speak to Sue and have her arrange someone else to take on your current role from the agency so you can start as soon as next Monday, if you like. That will give me time to have the paperwork finalised and ready for you to sign."

"Thank you, Ms Thatcher. You have no idea how happy I am that you are willing to give me a chance."

Elizabeth smiled, her thoughts moving to Jack and the conversation they had in the park. She didn't say it but Abigail owed this chance more to Jack than herself. "I look forward to working with you next week then, Abigail."

Once Elizabeth was left alone in her office again, she leant on her elbow her hand automatically going to play with the silver chain that permanently hung around her neck. When her fingers met nothing but bare skin, she started, sitting up straighter, both hands now searching the her neck. Only then did she begin to worry, standing from her chair and searching around her for a glimpse of her silver locket. After five minutes of searching more and more frantically and her anxiety levels rising, she reached for her phone and buzzed Lee's desk.

"Ms Thatcher?"

"Lee! I've lost something!"

"What is it?"

"My necklace. Has anyone handed it in?"

"Um, no. When did you notice it missing?"

"Just now. I had it on this morning when I got here. I'm sure I did."

"Okay, well I will help you look for it. I will be just a minute."

After an hour of frantic searching, Lee and Elizabeth remained empty handed. Elizabeth was nearly in tears.

"Ms Thatcher, we will find it. I will send out an email to see if anyone has found it. How about we do that and maybe put a reward attached to it?"

"Yes, do it. Anything. I just want it back."

She didn't want to admit it but that necklace was one of her most important possessions as it belonged to her late mother. Lee patted her hand gently.

"Let me take care of it, Ms T."

Elizabeth nodded, walking back to her office in a daze before collapsing into her chair.

* * *

Jack walked back into the building feeling very happy with his progress. He had just returned from the jeweller to have the silver clasp fixed on Elizabeth's necklace and it was now nestled safely in his jacket pocket.

He walked into the security office to see Lee reviewing some security footage from earlier.

"What are you looking for?"

"Oh, Ms Thatcher lost something this morning. She's having a panic attack as we speak."

Jack's happy mood suddenly changed to one of guilt. "Do you mean her necklace?"

"Yes!" Lee said spinning around in his chair. "Have you seen it?"

"Ah, yeah, it's right here." Jack pulled a black velvet bag from his pocket and pulled the necklace out of it.

"Oh man! We've been searching for that for the last hour or more!"

"I didn't realise. I'll take it back to her now."

"You better. Why didn't you mention you found it?"

"I just forgot" Jack lied. "I meant to return it before but she was in a meeting." Jack hurried back out the door and down to Elizabeth's office.

He knocked quickly and called out. "Ms T?"

"Jack" she said, looking up from her desk with red ringed eyes.

"Someone told me you lost your necklace. I'm sorry, I found it earlier but I just ducked out and I was keeping it safe for you" he said rushing forward with it in his hand.

Elizabeth jumped up from her desk. "Oh thank goodness" she said, zoning in on the necklace and grabbing it from his hands and clutching it to her chest. She breathed out slowly. "Oh, I can breathe again. I was having a panic attack."

Jack put his hand gently on her shoulder, steering her back to her seat. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth just nodded at him, not able to hold eye contact. She opened her hands to check the necklace. "I don't understand how it came off."

"Aah, um, I just had it repaired for you. The clasp broke."

Elizabeth looked up at him, surprise evident.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you but I thought I could get it back on your desk without you noticing it was ever gone."

"Thank you, Jack" she said quietly.

Jack stood their awkwardly for a moment before moving toward the office door.

"Jack?"

"Yeah" he said as he turned back to face her.

"Can we just forget about what happened yesterday? Go back to normal?"

"Yeah. What happened yesterday?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"You know …" she began before trailing off and cocking her head to the side. "Oh, I see what you're doing. You're good" she said with a smile.

Jack laughed. "Bye, Ms T."

He heard her laughing as he shut the door behind himself. He walked back to his office feeling more guilty than happy as to what he had just done. He had the option to tell her but seeing how upset she had been, he thought he might wait another few days.

Jack watched the monitors and saw Elizabeth with her necklace in place as she left the building and headed for home. Jack had his laptop opened and was watching two sets of data simultaneously, one pinging information much more rapidly.

Lee appeared over his shoulder and Jack jumped in surprise, not realising Lee was still here. "What is that?"

"Um, nothing."

"That's not nothing" Lee said pointing at the right side of Jack's screen.

"Right, well don't get angry …"

"Jack! What have you done?"

_**To be continued ...**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_**Previously …**_

Jack watched the monitors and saw Elizabeth with her necklace in place as she left the building and headed for home. Jack had his laptop opened and was watching two sets of data simultaneously, one pinging information much more rapidly.

Lee appeared over his shoulder and Jack jumped in surprise, not realising Lee was still at work. "What is that?"

"Um, nothing."

"That's not nothing" Lee said pointing at the right side of Jack's screen.

"Right, well don't get angry …"

"Jack! What have you done?"

_**Continued …**_

"I may have added a tracking device to Ms Thatcher's necklace."

"Okay …"

"Without telling her."

"WHAT?!"

Jack cringed at Lee's tone. "I will tell her."

"That is a total breach of privacy."

"I will tell her! It's just she was so upset today, I thought I should wait until tomorrow."

Lee looked at the roof, trying to rein his anger in.

"Jack! She could fire both you and me for this. This is well outside of our contract."

"I know, but just hear me out. Her phone signal, for some reason, wasn't sufficient enough to track her and I thought if anything did happen to her, the first thing that would be taken from her would be her phone."

"I agree, but Jack, _she_ has to agree to this. Not me and not you. It's her privacy that she may want to protect."

"I know! And I will tell her - tomorrow."

"You better, Jack. I am not losing my job for this!"

"Well, neither am I. She will see that I'm right!"

* * *

_**Tuesday afternoon**_

"Did you tell her?" Lee asked as he was about to walk out the door.

"No" Jack groaned.

"Why not?"

"She was in and out of meetings all day. I didn't get an opportunity."

"Make an opportunity, Jack."

* * *

On Wednesday, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk when there was a knock at her door and Faith breezed into her office with a number of suit bags folded over her arm.

"Faith! I forgot you were coming today."

"Of course, you did" she said beaming. "How's work going?"

"Busy."

"And how about that hunky bodyguard of yours?" she said in a quieter, more conspiratorial voice.

"Ssssh" Elizabeth answered, motioning for her to be quiet as she glanced toward her office door in case she was overheard.

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing" Elizabeth lied. "He's a strange one."

"Strange? Is that what we call gorgeous men these days?" Faith giggled as she began pulling clothes out of the suit bags.

Elizabeth and Faith had been acquaintances and then friends for a long time, but Elizabeth still felt restricted with what she could tell Faith. After all, Faith dressed and styled a number of clients and Elizabeth wasn't sure what would stay between just them or emerge as gossip.

"Jack is an employee, but we do get on well. Most of the time anyway."

"It's a shame that you can't relax that employee/employer boundary."

"It is a part of everyone's contract in this company." Of course, Elizabeth knew it wasn't outlawed in the company to have such a relationship, her father had just insisted that HR was made aware of any internal relationships to avoid complications. Faith didn't need to know the specifics. Or so she thought.

"That's too bad. I might have a shot with him then."

"That's if he isn't already with someone" Elizabeth added quietly, even though she knew Jack was single and after that kiss on Sunday she knew he couldn't be dating anyone. Just thinking of that kiss made her mind go all soft.

"I will just have to find out then" Faith grinned at her as she hung the new dresses and coats in the hidden closet at the back of Elizabeth's office.

After finishing going over the social calendar for the next month, Faith packed up her things.

"I will walk you out" Elizabeth said.

"There's no need for that" Faith replied.

Elizabeth forced a smile. "I'm heading that way anyway. I need to find Lee."

The two ladies walked out of Elizabeth's office and headed toward the main foyer when Jack emerged with Lee from the security room in deep conversation.

"I will do it. You are so much like you're wife these days with all the nagging" Jack spoke, sounding frustrated.

He glanced over toward the two women and he quickly stepped back to allow them to pass.

"Lee, could I have a word?" Elizabeth asked, keeping up the pretense for Faith. Her ploy failed though when she heard Faith speak to Jack using a much more flirty voice then Elizabeth had ever heard before.

"Jack. Walk with me for a moment, please?"

Jack nodded, falling into step beside Faith, who eagerly entwined her arm with his as they headed toward the lift. Elizabeth glared at the pair without even realising she was doing it until Lee spoke.

"Yes, Ms Thatcher?"

"Oh, I … forgot. I will email you when I think of it."

With one last glance at the other pair as they disappeared into the elevator, Elizabeth spun around on her heel and went back to her desk, determined to forget the possibility of Faith and Jack.

* * *

Jack was sitting at his desk as he watched Elizabeth leave for the day and sighed heavily. A text came through on his phone.

_Lee: Please tell me she knows._

_Jack: She does not._

_Lee: U r killing me._

_Jack: I will tell her 2morrow._

_Lee: Just phone her._

_Jack: I need to do it in person._

_Lee: Promise me._

_Jack: Tomorrow. Promise. I will come in early and make sure it's done._

_Lee: If you don't, I will._

_Jack. Ok._

Jack groaned, thumping his hand on the desk. Everything this week was getting out of hand. It was like what happened on Sunday was causing a ricochet effect in his life or something.

He thought back to his conversation in the lift with Faith, earlier that day. She had insisted that she could see the chemistry between Elizabeth and himself and all the denying from Jack couldn't change Faith's mind.

"You have to ask her out, Jack."

"Faith. She is my boss."

"So! She's smart and gorgeous."

"I know that but I can't afford to lose this job."

Faith looked at him, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Jack sighed. "Once she realises that I'm not the guy she wants anymore, I can no longer work for her. I can't afford to walk away from this."

"What if that doesn't happen though? What if you and Elizabeth are meant to be?"

"You believe in that stuff?"

"Yes. I do. My parents have been married for almost thirty years and I am sure my father still looks at my mother like he just met her."

"What about you though? Have you ever been in a relationship where you have loved someone so much that it is almost overwhelming?" Jack asked, worried at the last minute that he had voiced his idea more passionately than he had planned.

"I haven't. But that is exactly what I've been waiting for."

The elevator stopped in the lobby of the building and Faith tugged him out of the elevator, moving to the side to avoid the other people.

"Look, Jack. I'm not saying Elizabeth will be it for you but she is a beautiful, intelligent woman who is nothing like other women in her class. She deserves more from a guy than what she has been handed at present. Trust me on that one."

"I don't know."

"If all else fails, Jack, I have a lot of connections. I could call in a favour for if you found yourself without a job for some reason" she said beaming as she patted her hand on his shoulder. "Think about it."

Jack watched in amazement as the bubbly blonde strutted away.

Now he was sitting back at his desk over analysing the whole conversation. Maybe Faith was right. Maybe he should take a gamble.

* * *

The next morning, Jack got in earlier than usual and checked Elizabeth's schedule for the next few weeks. He was pleased to see there were no more dates with Kai, or anyone else for that matter, coming up.

He reread one of the protocols he was in the process of updating and before he knew it almost three hours had passed. Jack glanced at the monitors and realised Ms Thatcher was still not on the premises yet. He checked the time again and thought that was unusual. Even with all the changes they had made lately, she was always in the building no later than 8:45 am which had well and truly passed. Jack pulled up her schedule and sure enough she was expected to be at the managers meeting that morning at 10 am.

Jack grabbed his phone and dialled the number for Elizabeth's home security. As Alfred answered the phone, Lee walked in the security office door.

"Alfred. It's Jack. Has Ms T left already?"

"Of course. She left over an hour ago."

Jack looked at the security monitors at the front of the building.

"Is Ms T in this building?" he yelled out to Ned and Rob who were directly in front of the monitors.

"Not yet" Ned sang back.

"Someone pull up the roster and check who her driver is and get him on the line!"

"I'm on it" Lee yelled, immediately sensing the shift of tension and urgency.

"Someone else check the traffic report from the Birdsnest to here" Jack yelled, using their codeword for Elizabeth's home.

Ned jumped up and hurried to his computer.

"Alfred, who was the driver this morning?" Jack spoke urgently into the phone.

"He said he was covering for Ned."

"Ned's not on the driving rotation at the moment! Get me a photo, Alf" Jack said, hanging up while the panic was building every second. "Lee!"

"It was supposed to be Mason, but he's not answering his phone."

Jack groaned internally. Mason was one of their strongest and most intimidating security guards. How he could possibly be overpowered worried Jack.

"Ms T is officially missing" Lee announced as he simultaneously opened the tracking app on his phone. "I've got the location of her cell phone. It's a side street three blocks from here. It's not looking promising."

"Get someone to check it" Jack yelled. Rob was running out the door to do just that.

Jack was hurriedly logging into his laptop to the program he had installed just three days before. Her cell phone information appeared on one side while the microscopic tracker in her necklace displayed information on the right side. "The location doesn't match" Jack muttered.

"Where's the second location?" Lee yelled.

"I have GPS coordinates" Jack called back and Lee was already navigating a map as Jack yelled out the figures.

"It seems to be on the edge of the city limits - a rundown area."

Jack was hovering over his shoulder, looking at the location. "Call the police, Ned. Let's go, Lee."

* * *

Elizabeth had been blindfolded and gagged in the car and had been dragged into what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. She was thrown on the wet, concrete floor and had now been sitting there shivering for what felt like hours. The water had soaked into her wool knit pants and she had lost both her shoes in the struggle. The room she was in was dark, but she knew her feet were in a puddle of what felt like mud, but she couldn't be sure. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back so all she could do was curl up in a ball, her head resting on her knees.

She couldn't understand what was happening. One minute she had been sitting in the back seat of her car, madly typing out an email on her phone, when the car took a sudden turn down a side street, braking hard and throwing her forward as a man climbed into the car scaring the life out of her.

Elizabeth had screamed in surprise, calling out to the driver only to be ignored. The intruder had snatched her phone out of her grip and discarded it out his window before Elizabeth could figure out what was happening. She had tried fighting the man but he was too strong and after a few weak punches were thrown in his direction, he had hit her hard across the face making her see stars. She had then been gagged, bound and blindfolded.

But it was only now that she felt truly hopeless. She was hoping that they were just after some ransom money and as yet none of the men had touched her but she was worried what would happen when they realised no money could be released without her approval. A chill racked her body at the thought and she shivered violently.

"I've sent the request" she heard the deep, male voice through the wall.

"So we wait 24 hours?"

"Yeah."

"What do we do with her in the meantime?"

"Just leave her there."

She listened for anything further but it seemed to go quiet for the time being. She buried her head into her knees, trying to keep warm. She continued shivering as she began thinking about everything. She knew that her security team could track her phone but with it abandoned down some alley somewhere, it was all a lost cause. They would never find her.

Then her mind wandered to Jack and she wondered if he would even notice she was missing. Her disappointment at what had happened last Sunday was eclipsed by the current situation she found herself in. Tears welled in her eyes but there was no use crying when she was going to be stuck here for who knows how long.

After what seemed like a day, but was probably only an hour or so, she was listening to the noises around her when she heard a siren in the distance. She thought to herself, how nice it would be if that siren was coming to rescue her, even though she knew that was impossible.

She listened carefully and she was sure that the siren was getting closer. It was only then that she heard scrambling in the room next door and the voices began yelling.

"It's just a coincidence" one voice yelled.

"No way! It's coming here. I'm out."

"That's impossible. How could they possibly track her?"

"I don't know but I'm not going to jail because you stuffed up."

With that she heard more yelling, at least three voices, before there was the sound of a door slamming and one voice disappeared from the argument. There was further bickering between the two men as the sirens got louder and then the wailing stopped altogether. Elizabeth's stomach dropped. It wasn't coming for her after all, she thought.

The men continued arguing. One must have been watching the street because he began to yell.

"They're here for her. I'm getting out of here!" he yelled.

More hurried footsteps followed and then she was left in silence. She listened keenly but could hear nothing. Minutes ticked by and then she heard whispering.

"Help!" she tried to yell but just sounded like a slightly mumbled scream with the tie around her mouth.

She heard quiet footsteps on the concrete floor. She strained her hears and then it sounded like the door to the room she was in was opened.

"Elizabeth" a voice emerged. The footsteps hurried toward her and then strong warm hands were pulling her blindfold off and removing the gag. The room was dark but she could make out Jack's features as he hurriedly untied the rope around her wrists. He came back into her vision, his hand cupping her face.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, the relief from seeing him overwhelming her.

"Did they hurt you?"

She thought for a moment but shook her head. Beside the blow to her face she was fine.

Another man appeared behind Jack and handed him something. Jack took it and gently shook it out, wrapping what appeared to be a thermal blanket around her shoulders. Once secure, he stood and helped her up.

She swayed for a moment and that was enough of an excuse it seemed for Jack to scoop her up into his arms and carry her out of that room. Her face pressed against his shoulder and the warmth made her move closer subconsciously. She was too exhausted to care about what it looked like, and with his arms holding her safely and securely she faded in and out as he carried her outside of the building. The bright light from the morning sun practically blinded her. She could hear voices all around her but none of it mattered. People seemingly rushed around the two of them as Jack walked.

"Bring her here, Jack" she heard Lee's voice emerge.

Jack then lowered her onto a soft surface. She heard him chuckle as someone pried her hands from his shirt but she didn't want to let go of him or his warmth.

"It's okay, Elizabeth. We're just going to take you to the hospital to get checked" his voice assured her.

She let them manouver her onto the guerney and only when she laid back on the bed did she hear Jack suck in a breath.

"I thought you said they didn't hurt you, Elizabeth" Jack said close to her ear. She hadn't opened her eyes since emerging into the light. Only now did she try and open them and realised that one of them seemed to be glued shut.

"I'm fine" her voice croaked.

"You don't look fine" Jack said. Her good eye focused on him and she could see the worry all over his face. He still held her hand as he hovered close by.

"I'm just so cold" she said, her teeth chattering, as her body shivered uncontrollably again.

"We'll fix that up, Miss" she heard as a thick warm blanket was placed over the top of the foil thermal blanket. The heat wrapped around her body and she groaned in relief.

"Sir, we'll take her to the hospital now" the paramedic said to Jack as they began to wheel the guerney into the ambulance. Elizabeth still clung to his hand.

"Jack …" she said wearily. "Stay with me" she begged, not really aware of what was going on around her. He seemed to be having a quiet conversation with the paramedic and within a few minutes he was sitting beside her in the ambulance as the paramedic began checking her vitals. Finally feeling safe, the adrenaline was wearing off and as the warmth surrounded her, it pulled her into sleep.


End file.
